Forbidden Games
by IceBlueWings
Summary: Takes place in Edolas. GaLe. Levy's not the girl to be messed with. She's strong and she's independent. But she can also fall in love.
1. Slow Motion Meeting

**Slow Motion Meeting**

Levy stomped through the grand hallways of the royal mansion. Why on Edolas she ever agreed into taking this mission, she wondered to herself. Then again, she was trapped into taking the mission thanks to Mirajane; sweet, gentle, Mirajane who always works as the guild's barmaid, but was terrifying when she becomes angry. But dear fuck, Levy fell right into the trap thanks to the woman's sweet (threatening) words and now she dons a frilly, lacy white Lolita dress, her arms covered with white lace gloves.

Complete with a matching frilly, lacy parasol.

"Why me? Why the fuck is it me?" She muttered angrily to herself. She tried to put up with the outfit, she really did, but this was just too sickeningly sweet for her tastes. Even her shoes were white. Everything was white except for her hair, which must have attracted many people within the mansion, since she was effectively lost in this complicated and unnecessarily vast house.

The mission required her to become King Jellal's partner for the day, since he was holding a little party to celebrate who knows what and she didn't even care what. The mission also required her to collect information about the people and the kind of news she could get from eavesdropping into their conversations; they were two separate missions asked for by two different people in the same event.

When she finally made it outside to the gardens, she stifled a gasp. The garden is huge, and so is the party. _Little party, my ass_, she thought. _Is this even called a garden anymore?_ She thought to herself, when King Jellal appeared, dressed in a white suit. "Ah, my Lady. I'm glad you've made it. I would have been troubled if you didn't." He said, and it looked as if he was relieved.

"What, you really need a woman to cling to your arms and prove that you're an eligible King?" She asked nonchalantly, earning a cringe from him.

He gave a small laugh. "You don't give much of a care, do you?" He asked, though he didn't mind. He wasn't used to being treated as a royal, and he didn't intend to indulge in it. In fact, he wished he was part of the army and not a King, because of a certain scarlet haired woman, but he knew his place and the responsibility he was given. Love would come later and Levy is just an escort. "That's quite fine, really." He continued. "But for me, I have to keep up appearances. It would be much appreciated if you could play along…please?" He asked, holding out his hand for her.

"Yeah, yeah." She answered irritatedly. "Just don't make me do this again." She added as she placed her hand in his as they made their way down to where the crowds were.

"But you have a very unique taste in fashion, I see." He said softly, only for her to hear. She flushed. It was not her who picked these clothes, it was Mirajane! It was that blasted barmaid who she couldn't go against—who nobody could go against! She bit back a snarl as she smiled up at him. "Not that it is bad in any way." He added quickly.

* * *

><p>While Jellal went to mingle with the people, Levy opened her parasol and stood there, sipping on champagne and looking quite…innocent. She smiled politely at the people who passed by her, and occasionally she helped herself to some tidbits that were being served in the trays that were being held by the waiters walking about the area. At the moment she had a little cookie in her hand, held daintily by her fingers. Hey, she knew a bit about etiquette and shit. She popped the cookie into her mouth and held back from spitting it out. It was incredibly sweet. "What the fuck?" She ended up whispering sharply when a man with golden brown hair approached her with a smile. She gulped the cookie and smiled back politely, giving a little curtsy.<p>

The man bowed in response, the smile kept on his face. "What a pleasant surprise to see such a beautiful lady at this party. May I ask whether we have met before?" He asked jovially.

_No you may fucking not_, she thought agitatedly when she gave a small giggle. "My, I'm flattered," She said in a sweet voice. At least she could pull it off. "You're already asking me the question, are you not?" She gave another soft giggle. "But unfortunately, we have never met before, sir."

"What is unfortunate? This is fortune smiling down upon me to be meeting you today." The man said with a laugh.

_What a flirt_, she thought drily. "Oh my, I suppose so." She smiled, unwilling to keep the conversation going. "But you see, I came here with—"

"Oh, I see you've met Lady Levy, Sir Woods." She was interrupted by King Jellal, and she noticed the man named Woods cringing slightly_. Hah, wooing the King's escort is not a good sight, huh? Serves you right, damn flirt_, she thought haughtily. Woods started to make up some idle chatter with the King and then he excused himself. "He's such a charming man," Levy said to Jellal with mock kindness, and it was obvious to the blue haired man.

Jellal gave a chuckle. "He's known to do that," He said. "But he's a good man, and fights well in the army too." He felt a little envious. Woods probably was able to exchange a few words with Knightwalker whenever he was able to. But not Jellal; often times they merely pass by each other. She doesn't even look at him, while he always, always looks at her.

Levy noticed the frown on his face as she raised an eyebrow at him. "Hey, King. What's bugging you?" She asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"N-No, it's nothing. You must be tired. It's alright to leave now, unless you'd like to stay. Thank you for accompanying me, although you must have been bored." He said with an apologetic smile.

She shrugged. "Thank the Lord it wasn't any longer, eh?" She said, the two of them walking back to where she came from. "And the payment?" She asked.

"Ah, yes. I can't leave as of yet, but if you can find your way to the King's lounge—it's not too far from here, and you can always ask for directions—you'll find your payment in a white envelope on the table to your left." He said with a smile. And then a scarlet haired woman dressed in a slim black dress walked past the two, and he turned to stare at her in awe.

Levy snickered. "Alrighty, King-o. Looks like you've caught your eyes on a fiery lady," She said, earning a bright red blush on his cheeks. "Oh, woe is me." She faked a voice of disappointment and snickered. "Good luck." And she left, heading towards the King's lounge.

* * *

><p>It did not take longer than five minutes until she sighed exasperatedly and realized that once again, she is lost. And she was walking in a place that had no one in her sight. Everyone was probably busy with the party than being in the mansion to provide any help. She walked quickly at first, or at least as quickly as she was able to in the shoes she was wearing, and eventually was stomping her way in the mansion once again. It was then that the door opened, and she met the same man who ran away earlier once he realized she was King Jellal's escort. Sir Woods smiled, a smile that bordered a lecherous one, and she held back from grimacing. "A pleasant surprise to see you once again, my Lady." He said.<p>

_For fuck's sake, can the day get any worse_, she thought drily. She wanted to slam her fist against his cheek. Soldier or not, she wasn't afraid. And she wouldn't be afraid of her image being spoiled in his eyes, but he could help her with navigation in the mansion. "Sir Woods, indeed it is. I am actually quite troubled finding my way around the mansion, and if you would be kind enough to help me, I would appreciate it very much." She said with a small smile plastered to her face.

He seemed to be happier hearing those words. "Why of course, my Lady. Where are you headed to?" He asked.

And so she asked him to lead her to the King's lounge, which to his amusement and Levy's agitation, was just two doors away from where they were. He knew very well he wasn't allowed to enter any room that belonged privately to the King, and he waited outside. Levy didn't give a damn, and walked in without warning. She looked to her left and saw the white envelope on the table. She grabbed it and placed it in her matching handbag. She walked out and then gave Woods another smile. "Will you bring me to the main entrance, please? I have to make my leave." She said.

"Of course, my Lady, but surely this generous act of mine will not be unrewarded?" He asked arrogantly, pissing her off further.

"Well, let me think about it while we head there, Sir Woods." She said, and he didn't seem to push it. In a few minutes they reached the entrance, and she remembered that she didn't have any ode of transport to get back to the guild. Well, not that the guild was really that far. She could just walk. "Well then, Sir Woods…" She faltered when she looked at his expectant face. _Oh right_, she thought, _his damn reward_. "I'm terribly sorry, I have to rush back home." She said quickly. "Then, till next time." She noticed his crestfallen face, not that she cared. She walked out, out of the mansion doors and then out of the gates.

She kept walking down the pavement, knowing that straight ahead would be the guild. She wanted to tear off this dress; it was too damn hot wearing this. And then she'd have a nice cool drink and head home for a nap. Yes, nothing would beat that. She walked hastily when she heard footsteps that were hastily coming closer to her from behind. "My Lady, I can't just let you go like this." She heard Woods say. She rolled her eyes, and then realized that she had been unconsciously holding her parasol up as if she really was a lady. But that was the least of her problems. "Please, let me take you back home at least." He offered.

"No, really, I'm fine—ow!" She yelped when he grabbed onto her arm tightly. "What the fuck?" She said loudly this time, catching him by surprise. "Don't you understand words? Get your fucking hands off me!" She yelled angrily. In surprise, he let her go, his eyes wide and blinking.

"My Lady?" He said, wondering if what she just said was just his imagination.

"Fuck your lady." She turned around when he grabbed her shoulders and turned her back to face him.

"Good sir, you might not want to cause any trouble to such a sweet-looking lady," They heard a man say from behind Levy. "Or else I could report you to the authorities for harassment." The man added. Woods gritted his teeth in annoyance and removed his hands from Levy's shoulders, walking back to the mansion. "Are you alright, Miss?" Levy heard the man behind her ask.

"Huh?" She turned around with an obvious irritated expression on her face. The person she looked at was no stranger. It was Gajeel, the informant for Fairy Tail. He cringed when he realized who it was, and he chuckled. "I didn't ask for your fucking help, Informant. I was fine on my own." She spat as she stomped past him.

He held back a grin but was not frightened by her feisty attitude. He was probably intrigued by her more than anything. "Please, don't say that. I would have helped even if you didn't need it." He said, and she growled. Perhaps that was the wrong thing to say, he thought amusedly. "It would be nice if you called me by name, and not 'Informant'." He added.

"What is it with you men and fucking chivalry?" She snapped, facing him. "You're probably following me because you want to be oh-so-nice when seeing a 'damsel in distress', ain't you? All of you are just the same, acting heroic and shit in front of women to woo her. Disgusting." She said, much to his amusement.

He did not hide his amused expression as she stomped in her white dress. "I'm very aware that you are capable of handling things by yourself, Levy. Even so, whether it is a strong woman such as yourself or a vulnerable woman makes no difference when I want to help." Gajeel explained. "But I apologize if I've upset you in any way."

They were nearing the guild and Levy did not say a word after that. Despite their conversation, Gajeel followed her all the way to the guild. They both entered and Mirajane beamed a smile at the sight. "Oh, you're both here!" She said, looking pleased at Levy's outfit. "Oh Levy, you should wear dresses more often, you look beautiful."

"Bitch, please." Levy said, going to the back of the guild to the room where she left her usual attire. She stripped out of the dress and wore her more comfortable and better clothing, a sigh of relief being made from feeling liberated. She grabbed the small note that was stuffed into the handbag she once carried on her arm as well as the payment she received from the King. She reappeared at the bar, seeing that Gajeel was sitting on one of the chairs and making polite conversation to Mirajane.

"Oh, Levy. Did you get the information I asked you to get?" Mirajane asked as she wiped the rim of a beer mug.

Levy showed her the little piece of paper in her hand. "Right here. Don't make me do that again, it's a pain in the ass." She said, when Gajeel walked towards her.

"My apologies, it's just that I couldn't get into the party because I had another thing to attend to, you see." He said with a chuckle as he held out his hand for the paper.

Levy raised an eyebrow, and from what he said, she realized that it was Gajeel who gave the mission for someone to take, and he was the one who wanted the information. She handed the piece of paper to him. "Thank you for the hard work." He said gratefully as he passed her an envelope.

She peered inside and counted the amount. "This is a rather hefty amount for this job." She said.

"For you, I doubt it." He said as he tipped his hat at Mirajane and walked out of the guild.

"Oh my, Levy. You're blushing!" Mirajane squealed, only for Levy to curse at the barmaid, and stomped back home while she muttered about how he was such a flirt.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

I couldn't help but start on this. I wanted to wait until one of my previous two stories finished, but I just started writing on this chapter and I couldn't stop. Before I knew it, I'm done with the chapter. So this is an Edolas fic, and you know, roles are more or less switched. I also have to give credit to pikinanouart for her wonderful Edolas Levy and Gajeel story! If you have not read it, please do so!

Also, it may seem as though Levy is the kind of woman who hates men (I don't know if anyone felt this way) but just saying, she's not really like that.

So once again, I look forward to the reviews! Thank you!


	2. Lovely Mannerisms

**Lovely Mannerisms**

"Lucy." Levy growled out with an irritated smirk as the blonde woman accidentally—purposely—spilled a glass of water on her lap as they sat beside each other at the bar. "The least you could do is to get me a towel, eh?" She said, and from the nonchalant looks of the blonde, it didn't seem like any fucks were given.

"Ohoho, Levy. I don't see any towel in my reach so you're gonna have to get it yourself." Lucy taunted, much to Mirajane's disconcert. "I heard you dressed beautifully yesterday and attended Jellal's party. Must have been **lots** of fun." She said sarcastically, putting emphasis on 'lots'. She cackled. "Damn, I missed it. I would have taken a picture."

"Shut the fuck up, Lucy." Levy said, agitated. She did not want to remember yesterday. She did not want to remember the dress, the heat, the Woods, and the Informant. She did not want to remember his eyes, his smile, his voice, his body—

"You should have seen her, Lucy, she was blushing after Gajeel gave a compliment." Mirajane said, to Levy's annoyance. Mirajane was giggling, unafraid of experiencing Levy's wrath. After all, no one was more frightening than Mirajane.

"Oh?" Lucy perked up. "So you've got your eyes on Gajeel, huh?" She gave another cackle.

Levy slapped her hands on the table and stood. She gave a monstrously frightening smirk at Lucy and Mirajane, and it seemed as though a demon had possessed her. "The day I lay my eyes on a fucking man is never." She hissed. Then she looked down at Lucy haughtily. "But I know you're completely smitten by that weak ass Natsu, ain't you, Lucy? Don't deny it." Lucy had a faint blush on her cheeks while this time, Levy cackled, leaving the guild with a mission in her hand.

It's time for work, and nothing else.

* * *

><p>Women of Fairy Tail were known to be brash and fearless of many things, with the exception of a few such as Cana. Levy was not the exception. Since the guild moved itself into the city, Levy has been to every part of the city and she knew every nook and cranny of the area. So it wasn't tough to find the rundown old pub that the mission required her to be. The sign of the pub—Dun's Pub—was leaning against the wall when it should have been hanging on the pole that was next to it. A staircase led underground, where the pub was, no doubt. Levy walked down the stairs and headed to the bar, passing by old men in their drunken stupor, cheering incoherent words. The smell of alcohol didn't disgust her, but if she could avoid going to these places, she would gladly.<p>

Looking at the bartender, she looked up at a lanky, yet stern looking man in his mid thirties. She held up the piece of paper which she grabbed from the mission request board. "I'm here for this small errand that is needed." She flashed a smile. The reason why she took the mission was because it wrote a good pay for a job that was described as 'small errand; females only'. So what was there to lose?

The bartender broke into an amused smile. "Follow me." He said softly, and had she not been leaning over the counter, she wouldn't have heard his voice over the loud cheers and clinks of mugs from the crowd.

He led her to a small room, which looked rather clean for an old pub. It wasn't a storage room either. The bartender led her inside and he followed after her, closing the door. She turned around, expecting an explanation. "We're having a little game tonight." He said. She nodded, urging him to go on. "We have a host." Levy placed her arms across her chest. This guy sure takes his sweet time explaining things. She raised her eyebrow at him. "Your job is this," He opened a small closet and took out a little outfit.

Levy nearly died of shock, looking at a sexy bunny costume. "Really?" She asked him, deadpanned. "Good Edolas, don't play tricks on me. I've done it once, and now I have to do it again?" She yelled to the skies, earning a quizzical look from the bartender. "No, really? I have to wear this?"

He nodded. "Just wear it, hold the draw box and act pretty. Nothing to it. However…" He gave a small pause. "What you see here does not leave the place. In other words, keep things a secret."

Levy groaned, thinking nothing of what he said. "What's with my fucking luck nowadays?" She asked herself as she grabbed the costume. "Get the fuck out. You better get this over with quick." She said as he left with a chuckle.

* * *

><p>Levy looked at herself in the mirror. The dress was a black bustier, and her legs were covered with a netted stocking. She placed the bunny ears on her head. She grinned. "I'm not into these, but I don't look all that bad." She did a few sexy poses. "Yeah, pretty fucking sexy." She walked out of the room to meet the bartender.<p>

"Good. We're starting." The bartender told a man, wearing a black button up shirt tucked into his pants, and Levy guessed he is the host. The host looked at her, his eyes travelling downwards and back up again. Levy raised an eyebrow and looked pissed. The host smirked as he got onto a small stage. "Does everyone have their numbers?" He asked the crowd, effectively catching their attention. There were cheers of approval which answered his question. "Alright then. Let us start!"

Levy got on stage holding the box, with a fake smile plastered on her face. The moment she stepped on stage, lecherous looks were given her way, and she was not oblivious to it. She wasn't the kind of person who puddle at her feet when in love, but the prospect of love was nice. But these guys, she grimaced inwardly, simply wanted to get into her pants.

She rigidly held the box in her hand as the host placed his hand inside to pull out a number. After calling out number after number, and a man shouts in joy of getting all numbers correct on his ticket. The crowd has mixed responses. Some cheered, while other shouted in gloom. The curtains behind Levy and the host opened, revealing a large cage.

A large cage, in which a woman was kept, undoubtedly against her wishes and she was blindfolded, handcuffed, and gagged. Levy's eyes widened in shock, dropping the box as she stared at the woman who is caught in the cage. "What…game is this?" She asked, when the host laughed.

"Well done, she's all yours, good man!" He said as the crowd cheered again.

And just then, a loud crash was heard from the back. The crowd got up, startled, and a group of men appeared. "Everyone freeze! We're closing down this pub." The leader of the men said, and they all held guns.

"The police?" Levy whispered as she spotted the bartender being handcuffed and hauled out of the pub. One police officer appeared and tried to handcuff her, when she pulled back. "Hey, I'm not part of this!" She said, but it made no meaning to him. Handcuffing her, she was dragged to the police station. She decided to keep her mouth shut, just until they start interrogating her.

* * *

><p>She was left waiting in the station for nearly two hours, handcuffs still on her, when a familiar person appeared in front of her. "You're free to go," He said.<p>

"Why is the Informant telling me that?" She asked, sitting with her legs crossed over the other.

"Precisely because I am an informant." Gajeel chuckled. "I was there, and I cleared up the misunderstanding they had of you." He explained, and a police officer unlocked her handcuffs. She rubbed her wrists. Gajeel offered his hand to her. "Are you alright?"

Levy stood on her own, ignoring the hand he offered to her. "Why ask that now?" She said rather than asked. She walked out of the station, and turned left. And then she felt a small weight on her. It was a blazer. Gajeel had slipped out of his blazer and placed it on her. She turned around and handed it back to him. "I don't need it."

"It makes me feel secure knowing you have it." He said with a smile.

She sighed. "There you go again with your damn chivalry. Don't you know that I—"

She was cut short when she felt him turn her around, placing the blazer on her again, and push her gently forwards, making her walk. "Wh-What are you—"

"Yes, yes. You hate chivalry. You're capable of handling things on your own, and I'm well aware of that, as I've told you yesterday." He said with his hands still on her shoulders as she walked.

"Then why are you still doing this?" She asked irritatedly. She wanted his hands off her.

"Because I still want to show that I care." He said. "You can take this kindness as an act of chivalry, but I'll do it because I want to. Of course, you could very well throw the blazer to the ground and leave it there for me to pick up." He lifted his hands off her shoulder, and started to walk beside her.

Levy looked at the ground, as she tightened her grip on the blazer. He smiled. "That girl…is she alright?" She asked softly. Gajeel looked at her. "I had no idea this was the kind of 'game' they were playing. It's humiliating, and disgusting."

"It truly is," He said in agreement. "The girl has been returned to her parents. This has been happening in many places in the dark areas of the city. I've been writing about them." He explained, and Levy fell silent. He wondered what was on her mind. "What's wrong?"

Levy stared straight ahead, her expression nearly emotionless. But Gajeel could see from her eyes that she was sad. "Are you helping in finding these girls?" She asked, ignoring the question he asked. There was a slight pause before he started to speak.

"Well, I am but only a writer, yet I am writing this to let the people know about these terrible things that happen. So I'd like to think that I am helping in some way."

"That's good," She said softly, and then stopped. She felt as though she was getting dangerously closer to this man, and that would be a bad idea. "Well, go on with your work." She handed his blazer back to him. "I'm fine walking back alone."

He shook his head, placing the blazer on her for the third time. "If you're uncomfortable with me, then I will leave. But wear this at least. It's a cold night, and I'd feel dismayed if anyone saw you in this clothing." He said.

She gritted her teeth. "There's nothing wrong with people seeing me in this if I'm alright with it." She said. But he shook his head once again.

"I'd feel dismayed if any more men saw you in this costume, and I'd like to say that I would be the last person to see you in this costume." He grinned as she started to feel a warmth rise up in her cheeks. "Then, till next time, Levy." He tipped his hat as he turned around walked the opposite way.

Levy clenched her fists as she resumed in walking back home. "Hmph, this blazer reeks of him." She muttered as she pulled it closer around her.

* * *

><p>Levy came to the guild the next morning and had her breakfast. She looked at Mirajane, who noticed her gaze and smiled sweetly at her. "Yes, Levy?" She asked gently.<p>

"If that Informant comes here, let me know. I have to return him something." She said, to Mirajane's amusement.

"Levy," Mirajane said with an amused tone, making the blue haired girl look at the barmaid. "He's here."

Levy was about to turn around to see him, but she was at eye level with his hips as he stood right in front of her. "Good morning, Levy." He said cheerily, and looked slightly surprised when he was looking down at a blushing girl who looked up at him with slightly widened eyes. She looked embarrassed, and awkward. He looked at her quizzically. "Is something the matter?"

"No, of course not, idiot." She said defensively, getting out of her seat. "Anyway, I have to return your blazer." She said as she started to walk out of the guild and towards her house.

"Oh, yes. And I would like to request for your help once again." He said with a smile as he followed her, watching her blue locks of hair sway as she walked, and keeping himself in check in preventing his eyes from travelling lower. Mirajane watched the two leave with twinkling eyes; she would have to keep an eye on them from now on.

Levy and Gajeel stood before a small plain looking house. Levy unlocked the door and pushed it open, and she held the door open for him to enter. He gave a small smile at her and entered, looking around the living room. "Hold on, I'll get your blazer." She said as she padded into her bedroom. He noticed that everything was neatly placed, but there were not a lot of things in the house. Not even decorations, except for a small dove ornament. He walked towards it and picked it up. It fit just in the palm of his hand.

"Put that down." Levy's voice startled him, nearly making him drop it. She sounded upset. He placed it down as she demanded him to, and he looked quizzically at her. "Here," She shoved the blazer at him, and he hung it on his arm. She was aware of the curious look her gave her regarding the ornament. "It's not any of your fucking business." She said. "Don't go snooping around people's things."

He gave an apologetic look. "My deepest apologies, I didn't intend to upset you." He said.

She waved her hand dismissively, willing to forget about it. Gajeel did, however, notice that she must have some unwelcoming memory about the ornament. There was something important about it for her.

"So, what's the thing you wanna talk about?" She asked.

He grinned. "A job which involves underground transactions, possible brawls and perhaps we'll even find something interesting along the way." He said. "Of course, you will be rewarded reasonably."

"Oh?" She smirked.

"However, it is dangerous." He warned lightly.

"Oh, fuck that. Count me in." She grinned.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

What could this job be? *Insert suspenseful music*

Yes, I know this chapter was dark, with the underground transaction. I also quite enjoy writing about these different situations between Levy and Gajeel with Levy cosplaying.

I'm also wondering whether these chapters are too short for you. Is it? It doesn't look like a lot when I look at the previews, but I could say that they're just right, unless you think otherwise.

Also, there's the underline function in the Edit/Preview Document toolbar but it never works. Why is it even there if it doesn't work?


	3. Playful Explosives

**Playful Explosives**

Levy's choice of attire for the day was—finally—picked out by her and her only. While she might have been enthusiastic for the mission that was about to take place, she felt there wasn't any reason why she did not have to wear a tight black one piece that hugged her curves. She didn't have a big chest like Lucy or the rest of the girls in the guild, but she had a fine ass and the outfit showed it beautifully.

Beautifully it did, when she met Gajeel at a bar somewhere near the secluded warehouse where the mission was to commence, and he nearly choked on his glass of water at her. "Hello," He managed to say after a moment of silence, which Levy was aware of. She smirked in response, placing her hands on her hips. His eyes stared straight into hers, disallowing himself from straying to those small hands of hers on her voluptuous hips.

The smirk on her face faded as she looked at his attire. "Don't you have clothes other than these?" She asked, referring to the suit he wore. The same old suit that he must have pairs of in his closet. Why on Edolas would he wear this every single day was beyond her, but she didn't bother asking him. "I mean, we are on a secret mission, going to hunt down bad guys, and possibly save the world, right? And you appear in these." She said.

Gajeel couldn't help but chuckle. She had glamorized the mission, and he found that adorable. While most of what she said is correct, he knew that they didn't need to create trouble unnecessarily. He surely did not want to create any trouble which may lead to the both of them getting hurt by it, much less trouble that Levy may end up getting hurt in. The woman, however, seemed to be excited by the prospect of getting into a brawl. "Well, then let's take this choice of clothing as a special trait of mine." He said politely, and in amusement. He looked at his watch, and then to Levy. "Shall we?"

She turned around on her heels and walked out of the bar, Gajeel following closely behind. He looked at his small notebook as he walked, and soon after, he was taking the lead. "We are to enter from behind. If I'm not mistaken, there would be a small entrance at the back of the warehouse," He stopped at an alley. "If we take this way."

Levy did not say a word as Gajeel took the lead, and as they neared the warehouse, they knew that there was no need to start any conversations. At the moment, it didn't seem packed with people, but time would tell. Gajeel ran sneakily behind crates near the entrance, beckoning Levy to follow. She followed closely behind, and then looked at Gajeel. "I'm just wondering…is this really your job?" She asked in a whisper. "It's pretty risky for a writer."

He grinned and snickered. "Truth be told, I'm aiding the King at the moment, and this is also a good lead to write on." He said. He looked ahead, where a few men were stacking boxes and crates. He knew what the contents were, and Levy only guessed that they were some illegal goods that had to be exposed. "There will be deals occurring soon, so we should wait for that. Once that commences, I would like you to wait outside." He whispered to her, only for her to whip her head to face him.

"Seriously?" She asked in a deadpanned tone. "I came all the way here, only to be sent out?" She had her arms across her chest. "No. Fucking. Way. I will get my share of fun. I wanna see what's in those things and what these people would deal with. I'm staying."

Gajeel sighed inaudibly, expecting the answer. At least he tried. He wanted to keep her out of harm's way, not knowing what could happen, but he wasn't expecting her to back off obediently either. "I was only thinking of your…" He paused, staring at the scene before them. The warehouse was starting to become packed with people from a different entrance, and it was not long before they started flipping out cash and bidding their deals. One of the men opened a box, and Levy and Gajeel were able to see the contents.

"Oh, wow. Shit." Levy whispered as she saw a good amount of weaponry inside. When King Jellal took his throne, he made it so that the citizens were not able to completely wield weapons unless they passed an examination and carried a permit. Most of the members of the guild carried permits, including Levy, but they strictly used it for mission purposes. She eyed the weapons in another crate that had just been opened. "Is this a famous place for these things?"

"Rather famous underground, I'd say." Gajeel said with a nod. "Just like how there used to be underground markets for magic weapons before when there used to be magic." He smirked, knowing that these dealers must be the same people.

"And you've just fallen into our hands," Gajeel and Levy heard a gruff man say behind them. They turned around slowly, looking into the face of a bulky, rough, smirking man who had a gun in his hand, ready to shoot at them.

"Fuck—" Levy said as she and Gajeel rolled out of the way when he shot, the bullet blowing up the crates that the two just used to hide their presence. The shot caused everyone to turn their attentions on the intruders. "Well the mission's kind of failed." Levy said as Gajeel shook his head exasperatedly from the other end of the warehouse. Levy stood up and ran towards one of the open crates. The man started shooting at her again, when she grabbed her own gun from one of the open crates and shot at him.

"Dear God, Levy!" Gajeel yelled as he ran towards her and past a barrage of bullets that came his way. He needed to light a signal. The two ran towards the closest door they could find, and ran through the door. Levy shut the door, only for them to realize they were in a small room that undoubtedly was an office. "How could you do something so dangerous?" He hissed at her.

"Oh, relax. We're fine, aren't we? More importantly, we need to get out of here." She said. Gajeel was rummaging through the documents in the drawers as the door was banged at, the man demanding them to open up or they're going to be experience worse things. "I wonder why they don't just shoot down the door and kill us already."

Gajeel grabbed the gun from Levy's hands, much to her displeasure. He shot through the thin metal walls and made an opening large enough for them to get through, when the door fell down and the man had an automatic gun and started shooting at them. Gajeel pulled Levy close to him and they jumped through the opening and away. Much of the power was done by Gajeel as he used himself as a shield.

Not far from the main road were an army of soldiers, conveniently rushing towards them. Levy and Gajeel were on the ground by then, and Gajeel had rolled off her and panted. They stood up, calming themselves down when Levy spotted the previous man from the corner of her eyes with a gun pointed at them, and he shot. Levy knew she gasped, but she felt a sudden force push her away and a small groan of pain was heard when she hit the wall. Her eyes widened, and she realized Gajeel pushed her away and the bullet hit his arm. His suit stained red where he was shot. The soldiers caught up to the man and arrested him, and the warehouse was exposed. But Levy's concerns were far from that. "Gajeel!" She ran to his side as he panted and placed a hand over his wound. "You fucking idiot! Why did you do that?" She yelled.

He looked at the ground, keeping his composure and trying to forget the pain as much as possible. "Stop yelling. My wound hurts." He said.

"What does my yelling have to do with your wounds?" She yelled, ignoring his comment. He sighed, standing up straight and looking alright, except for the hand that was covering his bleeding wound. Her gaze softened and she looked tearful. It was the first that he's seen such a soft expression on her face, and he looked back at her with a mildly surprised yet nonchalant look.

"What may be the problem?" He asked her. "Are you alright?"

She frowned harshly for a second and it disappeared, reverting to her concerned and guilty expression. "I feel concerned for an idiot like you." She said softly. Gajeel snickered and smiled, when a paramedic came up to him and led him to an ambulance. Levy silently followed.

"It doesn't seem to be a serious wound. The bullet grazed his skin." The doctor said once they reached the hospital, and Levy had to sigh in relief. The doctor soon left with the bandages used to treat his wound. Gajeel snorted.

"I did not think it was such a serious injury in the first place." He said, to Levy's irritation.

Levy gritted her teeth. "Could you stop that?" She snapped. "Stop acting like nothing is the problem when it comes to you! I hate your fucking attitude! It's as though you treat your whole life like a game! It pisses me off!" She yelled at him. A nurse entered the room and requested her to be silent. "What makes you think it's alright for you to take the shot?" She hissed when the nurse left.

Gajeel was startled by her outburst. "Well, I apologize for that. I…" He stopped. "What makes you think you are not worth taking the shot for?" He asked her softly.

Levy fell silent, her cheeks warming up. She scoffed as she turned away from him. "Those sugary words don't mean anything." She said. "You think you're so cool taking the bullet, having me being concerned for you, and then telling me I'm worth taking the shot." She frowned. "You're all the same." She said bitterly, earning a curious look from Gajeel, although he didn't press further. She calmed herself down. "Seems like you're good to go. I'll be going back now." She turned and started to walk away, but stopped. She faced him again. "I don't need any reward. I haven't done anything to deserve it." She walked off.

Gajeel sighed, watching her retreating figure. Deep down inside, they all had secrets of their own.

* * *

><p>Levy walked back home, feeling disappointed, not because she didn't get a reward, and not because Gajeel saved her from the bullet (although she is upset about it), but because she didn't get too much of action. Then again, if Gajeel was going to act hero in front of her all the time, then she doesn't really want to have action moments with him.<p>

And it's not because she didn't want him to get hurt. Probably.

She turned the corner to reach her house but the area was suddenly packed with people. She pushed past them and saw Mirajane. The concerned woman turned to see her and looked utterly relieved. "Oh, Levy! Thank goodness you're safe." She said as she hugged Levy. Levy looked at her little home and smoke was rising out of her windows. She stared.

"What the fuck happened here?" Levy asked, when she remembered something. She ran inside, despite Mirajane telling her to stop because the house was on fire. The place was a mess, but that didn't bother her. She frantically searched amidst the rubble and found what she was looking for. It was the dove ornament that she received from her parents long ago and it had not been terribly damaged. It was as if the dove kept itself safe so that she could come back and get it. She coughed, the smoke blurring her sight and causing a headache. But she needed the—she paused. Did she really need the dove?

Despite the thoughts, she grabbed onto the dove without a second thought, and then she felt a strong grip on her arm and she was yanked backwards. She whipped her head to see Gajeel, who was coughing and panting and looking extremely displeased. He ran out of the house with her on tow, and when they appeared among the people outside, he had not let her go. In fact, his grip seemed to tighten on her arm when she yelped in pain. "Let go, idiot!" She yelled.

He looked at her, and she fell silent. His red eyes pierced her own brown eyes with a silent, terrifying gaze. He released her arm, and she forgot the pain as she stared at him. "Wh-What?" She asked, though her voice came out as a timid whisper. His eyes gazed at the object in her hands and she realized it was the dove that she seemed to be protective about. He sighed and sat down on the ground when Mirajane appeared in tears and hugged Levy once again.

Levy looked at the dove in her hands and she wondered why she even felt the need to save it. She contemplated on throwing the dove and breaking it, but her hands trembled as if they had a mind of their own and told her she can't. She sighed, feeling dizzy and stumbling to her side, only to end up leaning on Gajeel's chest. She looked up at him, her eyes soft and timid, similar to a small child. He looked at Mirajane, who seemed to give him a look that asked for his help. He nodded, scooping the blue haired woman in his arms with ease as he carried her to the guild. With Levy's head resting on the crook of his neck, she closed her eyes. "Sorry," She whispered. "I just had to save this stupid dove." Mirajane walked ahead, leaving the two to have their own conversation.

"I doubt I will be forgiving you anytime soon." He said with a smile, but it faded. "I must say, you are the idiot here." He held her closer to him. "If you had been terribly injured in that fire…"

She scoffed. "Shut up. I'm not important…" She said softly, when she heard a sound of dissatisfaction from Gajeel.

"I'll tell you now that you are, and I won't tolerate foolish remarks about yourself. You are unimaginably important." He said.

"And to who am I important?" She asked with a hint of amusement, looking at him with a smirk.

He returned her smirk with a calm and gentle smile. "Why, to everyone in the guild of course."

Levy's smile faded. "Of course." She said with a slightly dejected tone, not unnoticed by Gajeel who chuckled. She rests her head on the crook of his neck again. At least she has the chance of being a little close to him right now. And then she froze. Oh _no, no, no. Levy, you are a fucking idiot if you're starting to fall for this man_, she thought. _You will get off his arms right this instant_.

…_But I don't want to_.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Not much to say here, to be honest, but I did take quite some time updating! I'm sorry about that. I hope this chapter isn't too bad. Maybe it's a little messy and strange (especially at the warehouse part?) but there's fluff! YAY FLUFF, right?


	4. Awkward Circumstances

**Awkward Circumstances**

Levy opened her eyes groggily and she had a splitting headache. The next thing she did was to recall the events of last night, but she had recalled far back to when Gajeel had been carrying her to the guild. She faintly remembered him offering her to stay in his house, but she wondered if that was just her own imagination. She shook her head, dismissing the thought. After he brought her to the guild, she had come to an agreement that she would stay with Mirajane until she found a new home. But why was she here in the guild then?

She was about to ask for aspirin and water when Jet and Droy appeared. "Yo, Levy. So, you know why your house got burnt down, right?" Jet asked. His cheerful voice irritated her slightly.

"No shit. It must be one of those guys in the warehouse who set the fire." She said with a throaty voice. She got up, brushing the two men aside before they could offer her their homes for her to stay in. She made her way to Mirajane and asked for a remedy for the headache she had. "And why am I here and not at your place?" She asked as she drank the medicine down.

Mirajane smiled. "Once you took a gulp of liquor, you refused to leave the guild. Oh, Levy, it's not the first time, remember?" She said with a giggle. "I don't know why you insist on drinking when you can't even hold your liquor." She picked up a mug and wiped it with a towel.

Levy grunted. "I wanna drink, so let me." She said. She then remembered that she had to get herself some clothes, and she groaned dreadfully. Mirajane gave her a curious look. "I have to look for a house, and then get clothes and things since they're all gone in the fire." She grumbled.

Mirajane smiled, and then it faded, being replaced with a look of realization. "Oh yes, I forgot to tell you, Levy! It seems Gajeel's house has also been set on fire, and he only found out once he returned home. Of course, by that time the fire was put out and he couldn't stay in it." She said. Levy perked up as she listened to Mirajane. So Gajeel's been attacked by them too. It was not very surprising since they messed up everything for those dealers.

Levy looked elsewhere, on purpose, but concentrated on the conversation with Mirajane. "So…where is he staying now?" She asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but it didn't stop Mira from smiling at her.

"Hm…I don't know. He did come to the guild for a while after he found out about the state of his house, but he didn't stay long. He didn't say where he was going to stay too. I doubt he's met with anything dangerous though…" Mirajane trailed off in concern.

"Okay." Levy said, getting up and walking out of the guild, but not before letting Mira know that she would be hunting for homes. Of course, whether that was what she was really intending to do was Mira's question, although she didn't ask.

Mirajane sighed with a small smile. "You're not honest to yourself, Levy." She mumbled as she took an order from a guild member.

* * *

><p>Levy's eyes darted around as she walked past people and shops selling all kinds of goods. Seeing no one in particular, she walked into an office in hopes of finding a cheap and small home, when she saw a familiar back in front of her. She knew it was him, but she only realized now that he had broad shoulders and a strong back. She brushed the thought aside. So what if he did? She had a back as good as his, and she was well on her own.<p>

"Well…if you could do something about that…" She heard him say in a slightly pleading tone to the man handling the houses. "It's old, and it's on the fifth floor. Walking all the way up there is not easy, so I would very well like it if you could lower the rental." He said in a negotiating tone.

She cocked her head to the side. "What's the matter?" She asked, making Gajeel turn to face her, startled. The man behind the desk gazed at her without much of a care, but he seemed to look a little irritated. She looked at the papers on the table, which had details of the house that she guessed Gajeel wanted to rent. She grinned. "Why don't we share then?" She asked. "It's big enough for two people."

His eyes widened. "Wha—No, I cannot—"

Levy patted his back lightly. "Now, now, don't be shy that a gorgeous lady such as me is going to be living under the same roof." _Who am I kidding, the one being pathetically shy is me!_ She screamed in her mind, but she kept a grin on her face. Gajeel still looked reluctant, and Levy sighed. "We both don't have a place to stay and we need one. Besides," She glanced over the prices of the houses for rent. "All the other houses are way too expensive. If we share the rent, it'll be much cheaper, right?" She said. "If things don't work out well, then I'll search for another house. But right now, this is better than nothing. The bright side is, we're not strangers."

They exchanged stares for quite some time, and the man behind the desk merely twirled his keys in boredom, waiting for them to reach an agreement. Levy's brown eyes stared into Gajeel's red eyes unflinchingly, determined to win. Gajeel sighed, giving up. Levy smirked as she placed her hands on her hips. "Very well." He said, and the man handed them papers to sign for the rental.

Stepping out of the office, Levy pumped her fists upwards. "Alright, I've got a roof above my head now!" She said as she twirled the keys to her new—shared—home. Gajeel grabbed the keys from her hands, much to her disappointment. "Hey!" She said, watching him walk towards their rented home. "What, you really hate being with me now?" She asked. "Talk about mood swings."

He turned around to look at her. "Far from that, Levy. It is very far from hate." He said softly, but Levy didn't quite catch it, only hearing 'hate', and she looked at him in confusion. He continued walking.

_So he really does hate me now?_ She asked herself in her mind. "Well, you could have said so earlier…" She said dejectedly. "Anyway, I'll go do some shopping and leave you alone then." She said hastily as she turned the other way and ran off.

Gajeel sighed and shook his head. "To think I'd end up being so close to you than I ever thought I would." He said as he neared the new home. He didn't know if he could deal with himself being in the same house as her. He looked up at the five story building and grumbled, walking up five flights of stairs and tiring himself out by the time he reached the house. Unlocking the door, he looked at the lightly furnished home. After walking through the short hallway of the entrance, there was a small kitchen on his right and a living room in front of him. A door on the left end of the house was a bathroom, and on the right end were two small rooms, one beside the other, which he knew were the bedrooms. He gulped, starting to imagine the possible life that he would now have to live with the person he undoubtedly has feelings for.

* * *

><p>Levy hummed an irregular tune as she walked past shops and searched for the one shop she always got her clothes from. Finally arriving outside the shop, she smirked. "Love &amp; Lucky, how I missed getting some of your clothes. Now that I have none, it's a perfect time to shop." She entered Love &amp; Lucky and looked through the items on display with enthusiasm, but not forgetting the conversation she had with Gajeel earlier.<p>

Although Levy enjoyed shopping, she didn't take long to decide what to purchase. She didn't purchase many items as well, simply because she didn't have enough at the moment. "Guess I'll have to stick with these for now," She mumbled as she walked to the house where she would stay. She had a feeling she wouldn't be staying there for long, considering how her housemate isn't mutually attracted to her.

She bit her lower lip. After spouting haughtily to Lucy that she would never fall for a man, here she was, walking to a home where she was sharing with the man she definitely has fallen for…except she's already rejected before things went anywhere. "Love is such an asshole to me." She muttered under her breath as she walked.

She grew tired by the time she reached the house, and she knocked on the door. Gajeel opened it for her, looking down at her with a smile which she felt seemed a little forced. He looked awkward for some reason, and she could only guess that it was because he didn't like seeing her. She dropped her bags of clothes in one of the bedrooms and left, muttering words along the lines of 'drinking at the guild again'. Gajeel looked at her curiously as she left and only catching the word 'guild'. At least he knew where she would be. He opened his notebook filled with information and started writing on paper.

* * *

><p>"You're back! Did you find a home?" Mira asked Levy as she sat down on the bar stool.<p>

Levy nonchalantly shrugged. "Yeah." She said, deciding not to disclose the fact that she was sharing a home with Gajeel, even though it was for convenience's sake. "I'm probably staying here for tonight again though." She mumbled.

"Why is that?" Mira asked. "You should get a good rest now that you're settled in a home. I'm sure you're still exhausted from yesterday's events."

Levy looked elsewhere. "Nah." She ended the conversation by walking over to Jet and Droy, talking to them and making fun of them. Levy decided that she would only stay there until she found a new place.

It was not long before the guild went on its merry way and everyone started drinking, with the exception of Mirajane and Cana. They made a ruckus late into the night, everyone in their drunken stupor with Levy included. "Levy!" Droy slurred as he placed a mug of beer in front of her. "Drink up!"

She grinned, her face flushed from the drinks she had as she grabbed the mug and chugged it down. She stood and walked to where Lucy was, who was trying to get Natsu to drink more despite the man's unwillingness, and it seemed as if he was worried of Lucy's well being instead. But he couldn't go against Levy's glare as he shrieked, letting the blue haired woman smirk and challenge Lucy in drinking.

* * *

><p>It was half past two in the morning when Gajeel put his pen down and looked at the clock. He hadn't realized he was working for that long, and then he realized Levy still hasn't come back yet. He shouldn't be worried if she was in the guild. But that was <strong>if<strong> she was in the guild. He had his arms across his chest as he closed his eyes and wondered if he was just being too worried. Maybe he should wait for another hour and she if she's back. She isn't incapable of taking care of herself anyway.

But his patience didn't last ten minutes as he stood up and his feet walked to the door automatically, heading towards the guild to see if she was there. He knew Levy would be angry if he appeared and told her he was worried, but it was better feeling relieved than concerned. He reached the guild and was met with groups of people slurring and laughing drunkenly at things that were not usually amusing, and in the midst of the crowd he spotted Levy, standing in front of Lucy and cackling at her before she stumbled backwards and was about to fall. He was about to break into a run to catch her when she was caught by someone. He walked towards them.

"Ohoho, my bad." Levy slurred as she looked up at the face of Jellal, who smiled at her. She cocked her head to the side, wondering what in the world was the King doing here. Mirajane smiled at them. "What? Why is this guy here?" Levy asked Mirajane.

"Now, now, Levy. You shouldn't be so rude to our King." Mirajane said. "I'm sorry that Levy's being rude, Your Highness."

Jellal shook his head. "No, it's really not a problem. I appreciate that she doesn't care about my status." He said with a gentle smile. He didn't even look like royalty. He wore a simple white T-shirt and black pants, and he tried to hide his face by wearing a pair of shades. "I was just here to see how the guild is doing. It's a little…nostalgic." He said.

"Remembering your time in Earthland, King Jellal?" Mirajane and Jellal heard Gajeel say as they saw him walk towards them with a smile. Jellal smiled as a greeting, and nodded. "I am quite curious about Earthland, but I suppose you must be too busy to accompany me in this conversation. Besides," Gajeel looked at Levy, who was cackling at Lucy trying to hug Natsu in a death grip. "I came to pick someone up."

Mirajane looked at him with a wide curious smile that Gajeel caught, and he merely gave a small smile. "We're sharing the same home, at the moment." He explained.

Levy then turned around to face Mirajane, Jellal, and Gajeel. Looking at Gajeel, she frowned. "Oh, hell no." She said, stepping backwards. "Why the hell are you here? I'm not going back home yet!" She said with a grin. "I'm partying here!" She yelled, earning cheers from the rest in the guild.

Mirajane giggled. "She's had a bit too much to drink." She said as she handed a mug of beer to Jellal. "Care to drink, King Jellal?" She asked, when she saw a familiar red head appear in the entrance, and silencing the whole guild.

Erza Knightwalker looked at the guild members indifferently and Jellal grimaced. To think they would find out so quickly that he wasn't in the mansion. "Your Highness," She said stoically. "We would appreciate that you would at least let us know where you are headed to."

Jellal sighed. "I suppose time is up. I'm sorry I couldn't accept the drink, Mirajane." He said as he faced Erza. "I'm sorry, Knightwalker. I just wanted to walk around the city." He said apologetically, but she merely turned around and started walking out of the guild, when laughter erupted from Levy.

Everyone, including Jellal and Erza, looked at Levy. "Hey, hey, did you know that Jellal likes—" She was interrupted by Jellal who placed his hand over her mouth, and her voice came out as muffles. Erza cocked her head to the side while everyone became curious, but dared not ask. Gajeel gave a small awkward chuckle as he took Levy from Jellal. "Oh, right, why am I saying that." She said as she rolled her eyes. She looked at Jellal. "Man up and tell her, Jellal." She said softly but teasingly, making the King blush lightly.

"Well, let's get going now." Jellal said as she walked past Erza and hurried out of the guild, the female soldier following after him and looking quite curious.

The guild sighed as the atmosphere became friendly again, and Levy giggled as she leaned onto Gajeel, her head resting on his chest. She then remembered that Gajeel is here. She moved away from him, her drunk, flushed face looking upset at him. "Why are you here?" She hissed. She turned away from. "I'm partying, and that's that! Mira, hand me a mug!" She slammed her hand on the counter, when Gajeel pulled her away from the counter and dragged her out of the guild. "Hey, let me go, you fucking asshole!" She yelled, trying to pull her arm out of his grip, but her feet weren't working the way she wanted them to. Eventually, she slipped and was caught by Gajeel.

"Take a break, Levy." Gajeel said. "You've had enough to drink. You can barely stand. It's time to return home and sleep." He walked slowly with the girl in his hands. Stumbling and tripping up the stairs, they finally made it up to their home. Luckily there were beds provided, and he put her to bed. She snuggled under the covers and hugged the pillow when her heavy eyelids closed and she drifted off to sleep. He sighed and walked to his own room when he heard a thud from the adjacent room. He hurried to see Levy on the floor. "What are you doing?"

Levy looked up at him with tired and drunk eyes. "I need to pee."

He sighed, helping her up at bringing her to the bathroom. "You can do this on your own, right?" He asked as he sat her on the seat.

She grinned and saluted. "Aye, sir!"

Gajeel turned and closed the door, walking back to his bedroom with a sigh and falling onto his bed. _She'll probably be fine by herself now_, he thought as sleep took over him.

* * *

><p>Gajeel woke up the next morning as he walked over to the bathroom. <em>Levy is probably still sleeping<em>, he thought to himself as he opened the bathroom door, only for him to stare incredulously at the woman sleeping on the toilet seat. His eyes trailed down to see that her legs were parted and her panties were hanging on her ankles, and he started to blush a deep red. "Dear God." He said, tearing his eyes away from her lower body. Levy yawned, opening her eyes and feeling a terrible headache once again.

"Oh, damn. It feels like déjà vu, but where am I?" She asked, looking around and then finally looking at Gajeel, whose expression was not amused and serious. "What?" She asked.

"How could you have fallen asleep in here, Levy?" He asked in a low, awkward voice.

She blinked, looking around and then realized it was the bathroom. She then remembered last night, and grimaced. She stood up. "I guess I fell asleep," She said as she took a step forward, only to yelp as she tripped. She grabbed onto Gajeel's shirt to keep her balance, and then she looked down at her feet, seeing her panties. She blushed a bright red, looked up at Gajeel.

"Tell me you didn't see what I think you saw." She squeaked.

Gajeel stayed silent, turning around rigidly. "Please let me know when you are done with the bathroom." He said as he walked back to his bedroom, leaving her mortified.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

I'm having lots of fun writing this story that I want to keep writing this story rather than finish my other one, to be honest. But I'm not going to abandon my other fic! I will finish it!

Reviews?


	5. Distant Intimacy

**Distant Intimacy**

Levy rolled across the guild floor remembering the morning's event. After what had transpired between her and Gajeel, she immediately took a quick shower, dressed, and ran out of the house before the man could even greet her a good morning. Ever since then, she couldn't get the scene out of her mind. He saw her nude! Well, only her bottom half and that was still terribly embarrassing. She took a seat when a plate was placed before her. It was her requested breakfast from Mirajane—scrambled eggs and plenty of bacon. She took the cutlery from Mirajane's hands and started to eat, but it was incredibly slower than she normally did, and by normal it meant Levy would wolf down her food in a second. Mirajane proceeded to sit down on the opposite seat, and she smiled kindly at the blue haired woman. "What's wrong, Levy? You don't seem alright today. Is it from drinking too much again?" Mira asked.

Levy swallowed a bacon slice and rolled her eyes. "Worse." She said, and Mirajane got the feeling that Levy wasn't going to disclose any more information to her. Nevertheless, she smiled and giggled, getting a hunch that it involved Gajeel. Levy sighed as she hastily ate the rest of her breakfast. "I don't want to go home tonight." She groaned.

Mirajane cocked her head to the side and frowned. "You said that yesterday. You can't possibly be out of your house all the time. You might as well live here!" She said.

Levy grimaced. Living here was the last thing she wanted to do. Sure, the guild was home, but there was no privacy. There would always be someone making a ruckus and people out cold from drinking too much, and she'd inevitably end up in a brawl with Lucy. Needless to say, she needed to go back to a place where she had her privacy. But she wasn't so sure she would now that she's sharing a home with Gajeel. She groaned again. "Then I need to find a new home."

"Why? I feel much assured that Gajeel is your housemate. He took care of you well last night, and I didn't expect he would. Then again, I didn't even expect you two to be sharing the same roof." Mirajane said.

Levy cringed. "Heh," She laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you." She lied. Of course she didn't forget, she just chose not to say it, knowing Mirajane's exaggerated fantasies and love for these relationship things. Levy stood up, effectively ending the conversation. "I'm going on a mission." She said as she walked over to the request board. She needed cash, and she needed lots of it. Firstly, she had to get a new home. Secondly, she had to get new clothes. Thirdly, she just needed to be busy to get her mind of Gajeel and everything related to him. Fourthly, she needed to avoid him for the time being until she feels calmer.

She looked over the papers pinned up on the board and mentally groaned again. There wasn't anything that gave her good rewards. "Oh, fuck it all." She muttered as she grabbed a piece of paper and headed out of the guild, Mirajane cheerily wishing her good luck on her mission.

* * *

><p>Gajeel walked into a café near their house and had breakfast. Well, he usually never had proper breakfast and he always just had coffee. And that was what he ordered for himself—coffee. Nothing more, and nothing less. He drank his coffee silently as he mulled over his plans for the day, when Levy invaded his thoughts. Not just Levy, but what he has seen in the morning. His face flushed a deep red. It was not disturbing or disgusting. It was completely far from that. Well it was strange to see her in that state on the toilet seat, but dismissing the place and situation they were in, it was far from disturbing. Even he had urges, and when it involved her, how was he supposed to control himself? "You have got to be kidding me," He muttered under his breath as he covered his face with the palm of his hand. He even thought he was a complete idiot for feeling aroused in that situation.<p>

Oh, but he wouldn't want her to leave that home. Not when they were alone, together.

Drinking the last drop of his coffee, he stood up. He had to get his mind off her, and everything related to her, and have himself busy with work and nothing else. He took out his notebook and opened it, looking at his first interview of the day.

Had he not been looking at his notebook and had Levy not been looking at her paper, they would have realized they passed each other, both going opposite ways.

* * *

><p>"Are you fucking serious?" Levy asked as she stared at the King, who cringed at her disbelief. "You're the one who pinned this up on the board?" She sighed. "Ah well, this was the best there was. So, what was it?" She looked at the details on the paper. "A bodyguard." She said slowly, as if the request was foreign to her.<p>

Jellal gave a small laugh. "Well, I managed to sneak out of the mansion. So…" He sighed. "I want to take a break from all the work." He said. "I know I took it upon myself to lead, but I'm not a robot. I want a break." He said adamantly.

Levy snickered. "Geez, Your Highness, I wasn't going to say 'Fuck you and get back to work'. I was gonna ask, 'Why do you need an outsider to be a bodyguard when you have shit tons of soldiers in the palm of your hands?'" She smirked.

The young King scratched his head lightly. "I didn't just want a bodyguard, I wanted a companion. Those soldiers would just stiffly act their duty, and it's happened to me before. Especially…" He paused, about to say a certain name. "Never mind."

Levy stuffed the paper in her pocket. "Alright then," She looked at him with a thoughtful look. "Jellal. If you want a bodyguard and companion, then I'm your guy. Well, lady technically but whatever." She said as she waved her hand dismissively. "And, where's the first place you wanna see?" She asked, standing up from her seat. They had been sitting in the café that he usually had his lunch in, this time without anyone following him.

Jellal stood after her, with a little blush. "I wanted to go to the public playground." He said.

Levy raised an eyebrow. "Why are you acting like a lovesick schoolgirl? Stop being shy and just tell me whatever." She said as she walked out of the café.

Jellal followed after her with an embarrassed expression. "I don't normally tell people what I want. For a long time I've been doing everything I can for others, and not once have I been asked what I wanted." He explained.

Levy sighed, looking up at him. He was once again disguised in plain looking clothes and shades. It actually wasn't so hard to spot him in the disguise, but maybe everyone respected him too much to call out to him blatantly, or maybe they just couldn't tell. In addition, Levy probably looked scary to them despite her height. Whatever the reason was, Jellal didn't seem to gather such great attention. She looked curiously at the King. "You know, it's pretty obvious who you are under your disguise."

Jellal looked at her with surprise. "Um, yes, I suppose so."

"And why haven't you been bombarded with people yet?" She asked.

"I think they're still a little skeptical on my capabilities as King," He said with a chuckle. "Which is not a bad thing, because it would be odd to accept things so easily. Of course, there are those who are out to get me, and people in the royal mansion, including the army, treat me exceptionally well." He gave a small sigh. "So exceptionally well that I don't think I'm anything but a King."

Levy cackled and patted his back. "Ah well, you're working hard in your own way. I guess being a King is tougher than I imagined." They arrived at the public playground and both took a seat on an empty bench overlooking the playground. Children squealed and laughed as they played. "So we are here…why?" She asked him.

Jellal smiled as he watched the children. "It's a little embarrassing, but I like children. They're adorable. But I haven't ever seriously think of having my own. I don't have the time for that now." He said. "So watching these children play, our future generations play, makes me happy."

Levy snorted. "But you're gonna need an heir, don't you?"

Jellal had a small smile. "Yes, I am expected to. But…I don't know. I can't imagine myself having a child with someone I'm forced to marry."

Levy snickered. "Then what about Knightwalker?" She asked, earning a blush from Jellal. He looked away from her and she laughed. "So, where do you want to go next?" She asked.

The man grinned. "The guild." He said, surprising Levy, but she shrugged and followed his request.

* * *

><p>Gajeel finished an interview with a chief police officer about the recent crimes that occurred, and now he was off to have interviews with the perpetrators. He made it seem as though he was a writer for justice, but in all honesty he truly wanted to create awareness among the people. But today wasn't going too well. He had been distracted twice during the interview, and it didn't give a good impression to his interviewee. He sighed, when he from across the road he spotted two familiar figures.<p>

He looked at Jellal and Levy, his eyes gazing upon the woman. She cackled as Jellal said something, and the man looked embarrassed. Gajeel felt a pang in his heart, but he dismissed it. It was funny how Levy seemed to be close with the King, but if she ever did end up falling for the King, he wouldn't be a barrier. In fact, it might even make it better for Levy. Jellal is the King, and he has power. He has the means to make her happy. Who wouldn't want a better life with a better person?

In that moment he spotted Jellal lean down closer to Levy, and although Levy's small figure was obscured from his view by Jellal, Gajeel thought that the King had leaned down for a kiss. It took nearly all his willpower to hold himself back from getting a hold of Levy and breaking them apart.

No, he should not be interfering in someone else's relationship, even though he loves her in the same way.

Gajeel swiftly walked away from the scene. He just didn't know that Jellal had actually leaned down to whisper in Levy's ear.

* * *

><p>Levy burst into laughter. "Didn't take you to be a family man, Jellal." She said with a chuckle.<p>

He blushed lightly. He had just whispered that if he could have children with Erza, he would want three, and regardless of their gender, he wanted his children to have Erza's beautiful scarlet hair. The two headed off to the guild, and once arriving, Jellal was greeted by the guild members. While the guild members had completely different personalities in comparison with Earthland's Fairy Tail, the fact that they still enjoyed causing a ruckus was the same. It was a shame that he had always put Earthland's Fairy Tail to sleep whenever he returned, because he knew he really missed out on a lot of fun. But he could experience it here and now. He headed to the counter, Mirajane's smile welcoming him. "What can I get you, King Jellal?" She asked with a friendly tone.

"Please, just Jellal is fine." He smiled. "I was hoping I could take that offer of a drink I declined last night." He said, and Mirajane's smile widened as she poured him a mug full of beer and handed it to him. Levy grinned. People always thought that royals always acted with manners and modesty, and always had to keep themselves in check, but it was refreshing to see Jellal being different. This side of him was a nice sight to see. Maybe this was the thing he needed for a break more than anything else—just to kick back and have fun. He chugged down the mug full of beer and earned cheers from the rest in the guild.

Levy laughed as Jellal fit into the members easily, until she had a hard nudge on her side by Lucy. She scowled at the blonde. "Lucy Ashley." She said, and the blonde girl smirked. "Where have you been all this time?" Levy asked.

The blonde shrugged. "I've been working all day long. Stupid Natsu wouldn't even come with me for just one mission…" She muttered, and Levy snickered. Lucy glared at Levy. "I don't see you doing anything better." She scoffed.

Levy dismissed the blonde's words with a wave of her hand. "I'm on a mission at this very moment," She said, and looked at Jellal who was conversing with Macao and Wakaba. "As his bodyguard."

Lucy whistled. "You sure are getting friendly with the King, aren't you?" She snickered. "You sure Gajeel won't get angry?" She teased as she took a drink and a meal from Mirajane and started eating.

Levy looked at her incredulously, but she felt a small flutter in her heart thinking of the prospect of Gajeel being jealous. "What the fuck are you talking about? Gajeel and I are just friends." She said.

"And you live in the same house," Lucy said with a grin. "And he came for you when you were drunk." She added, her grin widening and her pearly white teeth showing. "Oh come on, I bet there's been other times when he's done nice shit to you." She said.

Levy rolled her eyes, despite knowing that Lucy was not wrong. There had been times that Gajeel's done 'nice shit' for her before they started sharing the house, and she couldn't deny that she felt…happy that he's done them. "Shut the fuck up." She said with a hint of shyness, making Lucy cackle. "W-Well, I don't see you getting any good luck with Natsu!" She said.

Lucy kept her smile on her face and rests her chin on her palm. "Yeah…" She said, catching Levy by surprise. Levy leaned her back on the counter as she sat next to Lucy. "I know I'm rough and all, but those are my display of affection towards him, if you know what I mean." She explained.

Levy snickered, but a gentle smile was placed on her lips. "Natsu probably understands." She said. "Heck, you've done a lot of shit to him, but he always appears beside you, doesn't he?" Levy asked. "Looks like he doesn't hate you from all he's done."

Lucy looked at Levy's warm expression, and it was a moment which Lucy knew that despite all the brawls and the tense rivalry they shared, they still cared for each other as friends. Lucy grinned at Levy. "When were you a fucking softie?" She asked.

Levy scowled. "Fuck off. Way to spoil the mood." The blue haired girl said, making Lucy snicker.

Mirajane smiled at the two girls, when Jellal walked to Levy and smiled. "Thank you for everything, Levy." He said.

Levy stood straight, looking up at Jellal. "What, that's it?" She asked in surprise. "That was hardly a walk." She said.

Jellal nodded. "I've seen a lot already. It was a lot of fun, Levy. Here," He took an envelope filled with a stack of money in her hand. Her eyes widened at the sum, and Lucy whistled. "I don't know how much I can repay you for the help you've given me, but I hope this does well." He grinned, as he faced the entrance. "Come out, Knightwalker." And true to his words, Erza appeared. Levy cringed. How long as she been following them? "She started following us after we left the playground." He said, answering Levy's hidden question.

"Everyone was rather concerned of your whereabouts, Your Highness." The solider said stoically.

"Even you, Erza?" Jellal asked, surprising her slightly, as well as Levy.

"It is of great concern when our ruler disappears, Your Highness." She replied after a slight pause, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Of course." Jellal said, the tone of disappointment hardly hidden. Levy looked at Erza's eyes, and noticed that she looked sad, although she easily masked it with her stoic demeanor. Levy smirked. There wasn't nothing behind that hard woman's exterior. The King and his escort left the guild, leaving Levy with nothing to do but mope around.

"Just find another mission to do then." Lucy said as Levy groaned in boredom. Levy shrugged and walked to the request board. She looked at each and every mission paper and sighed. There wasn't anything good, and she wasn't even in the mood to do a mission anymore.

"I'm going home." She mumbled as she walked back to the house she currently stayed in. Once arriving, she opened the door and peered in, wondering whether Gajeel was at home. Seeing no one and hearing no one, she walked in and felt a little relieved. Then she grimaced. Why should she feel so awkward in her own home? They did land in an unexpected situation in the morning, but heck, they're adults and dwelling on it wouldn't do any good. Coming to that realization, Levy grinned to herself, plopping down on the couch and relaxing. She didn't need to feel strange around him, she told herself as her eyes felt heavy and closed, drifting off to sleep.

Gajeel came back home an hour or so after, ever so silently. He was about to walk into his room to grab something, when he spotted the small woman lying down on the couch and sleeping comfortably. He kept his eyes on her for a long time, her soft breathing the only sound that he could hear within the house. A flicker of pain flashed across his eyes as he was reminded of the scene he saw in the morning. He walked towards her sleeping figure, bending down so that he was at eye level with her face. Damn it all, if only he was better than the King. If only he could make her happy. If only he could make her love him, he thought. He would never even have these thoughts if he wasn't in love with her.

But he was, and he was so helplessly in love with her. He was not the kind of man who would take advantage of a sleeping person, but just this one time, he couldn't help but steal a kiss. Heck, if he couldn't be with her, then at least grant him this one kiss. He gently placed his lips upon hers, and after a few seconds, he moved away. She still slept, and he had to hold back from chuckling at her state. His smile faded as his eyes gazed upon her soft lips once again. It was tempting; so very tempting to place his lips upon hers again, but this was more than enough. This was the only thing—his little secret—that he could gloat to himself about…even though it was terribly depressing.

* * *

><p>Levy groaned as she woke up, rubbing her eyes and yawning as she realized she had slept on the couch. She looked at the clock. It was an hour past midnight, and she walked to the bedrooms, noticing that Gajeel had not returned home yet. <em>That's odd<em>, she thought. Usually he would always be home before she was, and this time he wasn't even home yet. Her stomach growled in hunger, and she rubbed her belly. She needed food.

She walked towards a restaurant nearby and ordered food to take home. She didn't enjoy eating outside in places other than the guild, and she wasn't quite sure why. She came back home half an hour later with a paper bag of food, and she even bought extra…just in case someone was hungry when he came back home. She finished her meal in just a few seconds, and she burped contently. As she drank a glass of water, and headed to her room, she wondered what Gajeel was doing. Well, she could guess it was work, but what sort of piece was he writing now? Curious, she stepped into his room and looked at a shelf of folders and books. Each folder was labeled with a year, and she took the latest year from the shelf and proceeded to open the folder.

What she saw were articles of news—some that he wrote and a lot of others which she figured must have caught his interest. The latest article that was added to the folder was not written by him, but it wrote about the recent rise in illegal trade in the city. Levy stared. What if Gajeel was investigating on all of this? If there were a bunch of illegal trade, and if it was as dangerous as the time she came along with him, then there was no doubt that he was getting involved in dangerous things.

"It'd be quite nice if you asked for my permission beforehand," She heard his voice, and she turned around to see him looming over her. Gajeel noticed the concerned expression on her face, but it was immediately replaced with embarrassment.

"W-Welcome back." She said, and she held back a grimace. That was so out of character.

"I didn't expect that," She heard him chuckle. "Well, it's good to be back." He said with a tired sigh as he sat on his neatly made bed, taking off his hat and blazer and loosening his tie.

Levy hesitated, but eventually she asked. "Were you…investigating on those illegal trading?" She asked.

Gajeel looked at her with a hint of surprise, and his eyes fell upon the folder that was on the desk. He gave a small smile. "So you read that article. As a matter of fact, yes." He said. "I'll be writing a piece on it." He said, looking at her calmly, as if the matter was menial.

The look he had pissed her off. He was risking his life out there! "Shut the fuck up! If they were anything like the last time, that means it's fucking dangerous and you're going to get yourself killed if you do this!" She yelled at him.

Gajeel's eyes widened in surprise. "W-Well, of course, I never had it easy being a freelance writer." He said. "I've been in plenty of dangerous situations." He looked at her in confusion, never expecting her to be so upset that he was getting involved in these dangerous acts. He looked at her fiery brown eyes curiously. "Why are you upset, Levy?" He asked.

"That's because…!" Her face brightened into a blush._ Because I care for you way more than I ever thought I would…_ She thought as she clenched her fists. "Oh fuck it all. Fine, go ahead and get yourself killed!" She said angrily, stomping out of his room when he caught her arm and pulled her back.

"Calm down, Levy." She heard his gentle voice say as she unclenched her fists and released her strength. "I'm not doing all of this just for the fun of it. I'm doing this because I want to make this city a better place; a place where we could feel secure even without magic, and to help the King. Someone has to do my job, and I believe I'm completely capable of it." He released her arm as it fell to her side.

Levy fell silent, her small back facing his. _She's so small_, he thought. _But so full of power and life, and most definitely strong_. There was an urge for him to wrap his arms around her small waist, and pull her to him, so that her back leaned on his chest, and so that he could breathe her scent and have himself believe that she loves him as much as he loves her. But that would be a complete lie, and a dream that he would never obtain.

And so all he did, although hesitantly, was to place his palm on her shoulder. He smiled. "I am glad you carry such concerns for me, Levy. It really makes me happy." _More than you could ever imagine_, he added in his thoughts.

Levy turned around and he noticed that her expression was soft, different from her usual rough expression that he always saw. She looked timid, concerned, and there maybe even a hint of longing. He was perplexed. It would be silly to jump to conclusions, and sillier to jump to the conclusion that she had some feelings for him. The expression faded in the next second as her usual demeanor returned, and she slapped his hand away. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." She said softly as she started to return to her bedroom, when she turned and looked at him. "There's food on the table, if you haven't eaten yet." She said as she returned to her bedroom. Gajeel gave a grateful smile.

Levy dropped face forward onto the bed, and she sighed into her pillow. She screamed in her mind. _How can I? How can I fall for such an idiot like him? _She turned her face to the side, staring at the wall which connected their rooms together. She remembered his warm hand on her shoulder, and she wondered whether that was just enough for her.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Ah, bittersweet love. When will my time come (if it ever does)...

Getting back to fanfictions, I cannot wait to post a new one that I have been writing, and it takes place from when Levy and Gajeel are six years old in an alternate universe (meaning in our normal world, not in Earthland or Edolas) and I think it's going to be good.

And it totally sucks that Edo-Gajeel didn't appear in the manga. I wish he did.


	6. Left Unspoken

**Left Unspoken**

Levy woke up the next morning to realize that Gajeel had been long gone, and she just knew he was out there investigating things that were bound to be dangerous. Her imagination ran wild as she kept thinking of the worst case scenarios, but at the end of it all, she clenched her fists and walked out of the house. She was not the kind of person who would drown herself in worry as she waited for a man to come back home. No, she was going to trust him, and she was going to do her own job, and she would party hard when she wants to at the end of the day, and even though he's constantly going to be on the back of her mind, she's going to live her life the way she always did.

"Wow, pretty big statement," Lucy said with a snicker when she heard Levy say everything that was on her mind with pride. "Well…I have to say I know how you feel." She said with a smirk, referring to Natsu. Sometimes the guy disappeared on various missions, despite his timid personality. At least he always came back to the guild okay. "And what happened to never falling for a man?" The blonde chuckled.

Levy shot her a glare. "It's not as if I fucking wanted to fall for him." She said exasperatedly. "Would've been fine if we were just friends." She mumbled, and the blonde dismissed the statement with a wave of her hand. Levy sat down on the bar stool with a disgruntled expression.

"He's better than that last guy, and you know that." Lucy said softly, and it was not missed by Levy. The blue haired woman looked elsewhere, her expression turning regretful and bitter from memories that invaded her mind. Lucy could be right; Gajeel could be better than that last guy. But just because it could be, it doesn't mean it would be.

"Everyone eventually leaves." Levy said, and Mirajane placed a mug of beer on the counter for Levy. The barmaid gave a sad smile. "I don't even know why I bother keeping that stupid dove." She added, and Mirajane and Lucy glanced at each other, unsure of how to approach the situation.

"But that might have been different, Levy. They—your parents—may have thought it would be better for you to be here than with them." Mirajane said, and she had a feeling that Levy knew that reason herself, but she just misses her parents dearly.

Levy shut her eyes and shook her head. "They could have…" She bit her lower lip. "They could have left me a letter saying that than just leaving a stupid fucking dove." She said. "Couldn't they?" She asked in a small voice, her walls about to crumble. Unwilling to let her walls of emotions break, she headed to the request board. She knew that the Master knew about her parents and the past, but the Master's gone and there was no one to ask about her parents. She was hardly dissatisfied with her life right now, but she just wanted to know.

She grabbed a paper pinned up from the board and she left the guild. Lucy and Mirajane watched her go, unable to say much about things they weren't sure of. Levy swiftly walked out into the streets, tears starting to blur her sight. She furiously wiped them away, stopping herself from letting it all out.

* * *

><p>"I beg your pardon?" Gajeel asked the lady he was interviewing. He was starting to feel uncomfortable in her presence, because she was trying to divert his attention to other matters that involved them under the sheets. She was attractive, he had to admit, but he had priorities and his priorities could not be hindered by her. Besides, Levy was the only woman on his mind much more than the prospect of having another woman (much less an interviewee) under his sheets. He wondered what she was doing right now, and what she was thinking about. He wondered whether she even thought of him for a moment.<p>

"Hello?" The woman said, looking irritated. He gave a polite smile, apologizing. She seemed to get back on her mission to seduce him. He closed his notebook and left after a short goodbye, leaving her disappointed. He headed towards an alleyway where there was an inconspicuous bar, and based from the information he received from the woman, there would be someone who knew about these illegal trading that took place within the city.

* * *

><p>Levy looked at the flashy hotel standing in front of her. It was five stories high, and the hotel was lit up with bright neon lights, as if it was begging people not to miss it. She looked at the paper she held, and looked back at the gaudy hotel, and then shrugged. "Eh, work is work." She muttered as she went inside. She talked to the manager and he gleefully gave her the job as a receptionist at this gaudy hotel.<p>

"So you'll be working here every night for about two weeks, and as written on the paper, we'll give you a good amount of money for it." The manager said, flashing a smile. "And," He looked at her clothes. "We'll provide a uniform."

Levy shrugged. She wasn't a fool. She knew where this place was, and this was a gaudy hotel in a dodgy place. Customers that came into the hotel and requested rooms were looking for a passionate night that may or may not end up well. But she wasn't going to bother about that. She needed work, and money, and she didn't mind being receptionist. The manager went into a room and reappeared in front of her a while later, holding up a sleeveless black lace dress that reached her mid thigh. "This should fit you. Now, come back tonight for work." The manager said, and Levy agreed and left the hotel.

She yawned, walking back to the brighter side of the city. It didn't matter to her where she was in the city, because the city was always the city, and the guild will always be there. That's right, the guild will always be there, and that was one of her havens…other than her house, but that could very well change soon.

_Soon…_she thought, a dejected and depressed look on her face as she made her way back to the guild. Since the job was at night, that meant she could take jobs during the day, which meant she would be earning more money. Looking at the request board once again, she grabbed a paper which required her to help out in loading and unloading materials. She stuffed it in her pocket as she immediately headed to the place, when Mirajane called out to her. "I thought you have a mission already." She said, and Levy nodded.

"But that's at night." Levy said, which made Mira even more concerned.

"Don't work yourself too hard, Levy." The barmaid said in gentle concern, and Levy gave a reassuring smirk before leaving for the mission.

* * *

><p>Gajeel gave a satisfied smile as he headed back home. He finally managed to get the information he needed, and with little to no danger. He could let Levy know about that. Then again, there would be no surprise if he was in danger at this very moment by people who didn't want their businesses to collapse from his written pieces. Well, he'll deal with it when the time comes. It was around ten at night when he arrived home and unlocked the door, but he realized that Levy hasn't been back yet. He wasn't too worried, thinking that she was probably at the guild. He started writing his article, getting lost in the excitement of writing a provoking article when he heard the door open. He looked at the clock in his room, and found that it is now a quarter past three.<p>

Soft footsteps were heard and the door to her room was closed with hardly a sound. Gajeel wondered if the door had even been closed properly. He stood up, stretched lightly, and walked towards her room. The door hadn't closed, as he had thought. He peered into her room, and saw her curled on the bed, hugging a pillow close to her body, fast asleep. He closed the door softly.

What has she been doing to become so tired, he wondered.

* * *

><p>The next day when Gajeel woke up, he found Levy's room empty. Usually he'd be first to wake up, and leave before she did. He could only guess that she took a job which required her to start work early. He didn't think she wasn't a hard worker, but after the entire guild has been through when magic was running, he thought she would want to take it easier. Then again, money wasn't going to magically appear in their pockets either.<p>

Gajeel, deciding to spend his entire time in the house to work on his article for today, slipped into a plain t-shirt and jeans, and sat on his desk in his room, papers scribbled with notes scattered around and making himself ready for a long day.

* * *

><p>Levy grumbled mentally as she carried bricks and piles of materials for reconstruction of the houses. While most of the city had been rebuilt, there were still a few houses that needed to be reconstructed. In addition, the reconstruction mess had to be cleaned up. And that was what she was doing right now, cleaning up discarded materials or leftovers from the reconstruction of the city buildings. Constantly carrying, bending down to pick up things, or sweeping dust was tiring. When she appeared on site yesterday morning, people were skeptical at first because of her build. But she proved them wrong when she worked swiftly and reliably, at the cost of her energy, of course.<p>

Unfortunately, this was the only job that allowed her to work in the day and didn't clash with her night job. It was tiring, but it was only for two weeks, so there shouldn't be much of a problem. _I'm doing this for the money_, she kept reminding herself. The sooner she gets enough, the sooner she can leave the house, and leave Gajeel alone.

Yes, she wants to do that. She does.

She groaned. _Who am I kidding?_ She asked herself in her thoughts as she picked up a brick into her gloved hands. "You alright there?" One of the builders asked, and she nodded with a grin. She didn't want to leave, and she knew it.

* * *

><p>Mirajane gave a thoughtful sigh as she wiped the rims of the beer mugs behind the counter. Lucy sat on a bar stool and gave the barmaid a curious look. "What are you thinking about?" She asked, and then her lips turned into a smirk. "Someone on your mind?" She asked, her question obviously referring to a romantic interest.<p>

"As a matter of fact, I am. I feel as if Levy's working too hard." Mirajane said worryingly, and Lucy grimaced. The barmaid was completely oblivious to what Lucy had implied in the question. "She took a job in helping out with the reconstruction, and later tonight she'll be working at a hotel, until late at night. I'm sure she's not getting enough sleep. And that girl's never eating properly." Mirajane said, placing the last of the beer mugs on the shelf.

Lucy looked indifferent, but she was thinking as well. "Maybe she wants something." She said. "Or…" She paused, and Mirajane looked at the blonde. "She wants to forget about something?" She said, the question hanging in the air as they fell silent, reminding them of the conversation they had with Levy yesterday.

* * *

><p>Gajeel knew he could get lost in his work, but he was on alert for a certain someone to return home. Unfortunately, there has been no sign yet of her returning home for anything at all. Not even for a minute or two. He scribbled notes on a piece of paper and got back to writing a draft. He shouldn't be so worried. After all, she's been fine before they became as they are now. Why would it be any different now? He knew she was fine.<p>

But he just wanted to see her again.

It was half past three in the morning when he yawned and stretched, realizing that he had been up until now writing. He was nearly halfway through his work, when he heard the door open and soft footsteps heading towards her room again when he got up from his seat and came out of his room. She looked at him with weary eyes. "Welcome back." He said, a little surprised by her state.

"Mm," She mumbled as she walked into her room, and he saw her fall on her bed and snuggle under the covers. He contemplated on asking her what she had been doing, but seeing her half lidded eyes that were going to close any second now, he decided not to. "Close…door, will you?" She mumbled as she lost the battle to stay awake any longer.

Gajeel could do nothing but to close the door, and looked at the clock. He could work for an hour more, he thought to himself. One hour turned into three when he rubbed his eyes and decided to head to bed, when he heard the door adjacent to his open. At six in the morning, Levy lifted her heavy legs and was about to head out of the house. He stopped her, and she gave him a weary yet indifferent look. "Why are you leaving at this hour?" He asked.

"For work." She mumbled, and then she realized she was still holding on to her blanket. She dropped it, walking towards the door, when he grabbed onto her hand. "What?" She asked crankily.

"You had three hours of sleep! You can't possibly work like this!" He said incredulously. She yanked her arm back but she didn't bother replying. "Have you even eaten?" He asked.

Levy waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah," She lied. Gajeel saw through it and she could tell from his expression. "Look, I'll…get something on the way. Just go to your fucking bed and sleep." She reached out for the doorknob.

"How long are you keeping this up?" He asked.

"None of your fucking business." She said wearily as she opened the door and left. Gajeel heard the door close softly.

* * *

><p>A week had passed since Levy started working two jobs, and on Monday she received a long break in the afternoon, so she headed to the guild. She hadn't made an appearance since she took the jobs, and Mirajane, Jet, and Droy stared at her state of fatigue. "What the hell, Levy, what have you been doing?" Jet asked, and Droy was asking the same question based on his expressions. Mirajane frowned, ready to tell the blue haired woman to stop the jobs this instant.<p>

Levy held her hand up, signaling them to stay silent for a while. She grabbed a glass of water and chugged it down. "I've been working. And Mira, don't bother telling me to stop. I need to do this." She said. Mirajane placed a meal before her, and she instantly dug in.

"I knew you weren't eating properly. How many hours have you been sleeping? Levy, if you keep this up, you're going to fall ill." The barmaid chided, but Levy ignored her. Jet and Droy were telling her similar things that Mirajane did, and once Levy was done chugging a glass of water, she stood up.

"Calm the fuck down. I'll be fine. Well," She grinned. "I can't guarantee that I won't collapse at the end of it all, though." She joked as she walked out of the guild, despite Jet and Droy calling out to her in concern.

Levy had to admit that the night job was ludicrous for her. She wanted to quit, but the pay was good, and she just had a week left, so she had to be patient till then. Almost every man that entered seemed to want more women on his hands, and they often gave her leering looks as she gave them their assigned room keys. Sometimes she had to fend off drunken customers who stumble into the room and harass the staff, because apparently she was the only woman who had the guts to, despite her small build.

Just staying there waiting for work to be done was a bore, and she didn't fit in with the rest of the staff because she just wasn't interested. All they do was gossip about things which she found either stupid or uninteresting to her. She only talked to them when she had to do something in the hotel, and that was it.

Tonight is not any different with the usual kind of customers, except Levy's fatigue was weighing her down. Despite that, she didn't lower in the quality of her work, and it seemed as though no one noticed her weariness.

Levy got off work at half past two in the morning, and she trudged back home as quick as she could. It was a pain to deal with unwanted attention at this hour, especially when she's tired as hell. She rubbed her eyes, once again fighting a battle to stay awake when she bumped into someone. She gulped. Oh boy, here comes unwanted attention—

"Bitch, just when I thought I could be out of sight." Levy heard a familiar person say, and she looked up at Lucy, her blonde hair glinting in the moonlight.

"Fuck." Levy said in reply, placing her hand on her forehead. "I thought you were some thug." She said, groaning. "You were following me?"

Lucy grunted. "Mira's orders. She was worried. She still is. You pretty much suck at being healthy, so I don't blame her." The blonde said, as they walked towards Levy's home. Levy scoffed, but immediately yawned after. "I wouldn't give a fuck if you killed yourself with all of this work, but I do because face it, if you're not at the guild it wouldn't be as fun. And know that you are not. Fucking. Alone." She said, emphasizing on the words.

Levy looked at Lucy with a raised eyebrow. "You're lecturing me about this? Really?" She said, deadpanned. "I know all of that, thank you very much." They reached the apartment, but Lucy stopped her from going in.

"No, you don't, and you know why?" Lucy had a solemn frown on her face. "Because you don't trust us enough." She said, and Levy's eyes widened. "Because you're fucking scared of getting hurt."

Levy frowned. "What the fuck are you—"

"Because your parents left you at the guild." Lucy interrupted.

"Shut up, blondie—"

"Because that asshole Reone used you for two years and threw you away like a rag."

"Lucy, just—"

"Because you're trying to forget all of that and now you're trying to run away from Gajeel."

Levy slapped Lucy across the face in the heat of anger, but the blonde did not falter. She merely looked down at Levy, and the blue haired girl stepped backwards. "Levy?" The two women heard Gajeel, who came downstairs hearing the light commotion between the two. He looked at Lucy. "Oh, good…morning, Lucy." He said, remembering the time.

Levy sighed. "Just…just shut up." She said, walking up the stairs hastily, leaving Gajeel and Lucy. Gajeel smiled at the blonde woman politely.

"If it's no trouble, may I listen to the story later today?" He asked Lucy, who smirked.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

OMFG CHAPTER 268! Seeing Gajeel makes me so happy. He looks so hot. Team B is going to kick ass. I wish Levy had more important lines. It's as if Mashima put her in there just so no one forgets her (and I certainly will not forget that cute little mage).

I would have posted this yesterday but something was wrong with .

Next chapter would be all about Levy's past. Don't worry, it's like, no big deal, you know? Just some sadness here and there, and her cutesy wutsey tsundere character (Levy: _"Wh-What? I didn't do that just for my readers, b-baka!"_)

I'm just very happy seeing Gajeel again.


	7. Timeless Attention

**Timeless Attention**

"She came to the guild when she was seven years old. Her parents left her here and never came back for her. From then on, she was taken care of by the Master, and she became our mechanic. She helped us whenever Knightwalker came to get us, back when magic was still running. The Master never told her about her parents, but the only thing they had left for her was that dove she holds onto—you've seen it, haven't you? And now she can't ask the Master because he's gone. About two years ago, she was with a guy—Reone. At first, he was sweet. She loved him so much, and she was always excited to see him come to the guild."

Lucy took a pause, and Gajeel awaited the continuation, and possibly the betrayal that Levy faced with her past lover. It was noon when they met up at a café, and Levy was once again working her tired body out in the city.

"And then he betrayed her. Not only her, but the whole guild. We trusted him, too, and Levy did her best to make us trust him. But he called Knightwalker on us and we were nearly destroyed by her. Even though we managed to escape—thanks to Levy—we lost a few friends, and no one was as hurt as Levy. She was betrayed, and she thought it was her fault that the guild was in danger."

Gajeel looked outside the window of the café in thought, while Lucy took a sip of her coffee. There was no way Levy didn't feel devastated over it. Gajeel knew well that to Lucy, Levy, and everyone in the guild that the guild was their haven; their family that they had most trust in.

And Levy had indirectly led the guild to a near destruction.

"I don't blame her for feeling upset and I don't blame her for putting up her walls after what she's been through," Lucy continued. "But she's keeping it all to herself, even though we all know she's disturbed by everything that's happened to her." She said, her eyes gazing outside as well, but her expression visibly upset.

Gajeel gave a small smile. "You care for her much more than I thought." He said.

Lucy looked at him, and her lips widened into a smirk. "And you?" She asked, earning a light blush from him.

* * *

><p>After her argument with Lucy last night, she knew Gajeel would pry into her past, and she knew Lucy would gladly tell him about it. <em>That bitch<em>, she thought with a growl. And Gajeel too, how dare he have the balls to pry into another's past. She stomped around the construction site as she cleaned things up, and her colleagues were watching her with a slightly nervous expression, wondering what was on the woman's mind.

But truth be told, she wanted to get into bed and sleep for eternity. Well, that is an exaggeration, but the point is that she wanted to finish all of this work and get her rest. She was tremendously exhausted, stressed, and grumpy. On the bright side, there were six more days left until she will be able to get that hard earned money, and inevitably, rest.

Another night passed with her working her tired bones in the love hotel. She came back around three in the morning, and she headed straight to her room and collapsed. She groaned. Just six more nights, she told herself.

Gajeel wanted to stop her from working anymore, but knew she wasn't going to listen. And for the rest of the week, they didn't even exchange a greeting.

* * *

><p>Levy changed into her black lace dress for the last night as a receptionist. She was excited for it, undoubtedly. But she had a terrible headache since morning, and her body felt heavy. <em>Man, if Mira knew about this, she would nag me to no end<em>, she thought as she took a deep breath. She looked at two staff members, who were merely giggling and chatting about some person in a magazine. It wasn't as if she meant to eavesdrop in their conversation, but they just talked loud enough for her to hear them.

"Oh, have you seen the King in person?" One of them said.

"Yeah! He's such a hottie. I wouldn't mind getting him in my pants." The other said, and they giggled.

Levy snorted. If Jellal heard this, he would probably be flustered and embarrassed. For a King, he was pretty soft. Maybe she just needed to see him in action, but for the times she's been with him, she hasn't seen him act tough. It wasn't a bad thing, really, but in some events it wouldn't be too good.

A drunk couple entered the hotel and came to the receptionist. The man spoke, and Levy blanched at the thick smell of alcohol. Once she was done with everything, she handed them the keys and they wobbled off. She took a deep breath once again and looked at the clock. Just three more hours, she told herself. She rubbed her temples, trying to ease the headache she had. Unfortunately, she hadn't taken any medicine, and there wasn't any in here. In addition to that, she felt dizzy. Maybe she was working her body out too hard.

_Maybe_, she scoffed inwardly. She knew she was working her poor body to ruin. _Of course I'm fucking working my body bad, I'm probably going to die when I get back home_, she told herself. Three hours passed before she realized, surprisingly, and she was able to talk to the manager for the last time. He gave her a wide smile, and handed her an envelope full of her reward. "Thank you for all the hard work." He said.

Levy gave a small grin. Well, he wasn't so bad, and even though this place were where drunkards came to, it wasn't that bad of a place either. "No problem. Thanks for the payment." She said as she walked out of the hotel and back home. Despite her tired, aching body and her aching head, she skipped back home.

* * *

><p>Gajeel woke up Monday morning, and remembered that Levy wouldn't be working anymore, finishing all the jobs she had taken for two weeks. He opened her door slightly and peered in, seeing a figure under the bed covers, and a familiar tone of blue peeking out from the covers. He had a small smile on his face, relieved that she could get a good rest now.<p>

He had long finished the article he was writing in the beginning of last week, and was now taking a short break from work. He sat in the living room, listening to the radio and then reading a book, when he saw Levy walk out of her room with slow steps. He set down his book on the small coffee table and looked at her with a smile. "Good afternoon, Levy." He said.

She looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was one o'clock, she realized, but it didn't matter. She stared at the clock, her eyes half lidded and strangely off. He looked at her with a concerned frown, and stood to walk closer to her. "Are you alright?" He asked, when she turned her attention on him, and smiled widely.

It was a smile he was not used to seeing, since it was very…innocent, for lack of better explanation. It was the kind of smile you'd see on a small child's face when he or she had something good from their parents. Levy giggled.

He quirked an eyebrow. Was it just his imagination that she giggled? "Gajeel!" She said softly, her voice tired but undoubtedly happy. He felt even more confused by her behaviour. She had been acting so distant for the whole week, and now she was so happy to see him? He was about to ask her whether she was alright once again when she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him, nearly making him gasp. And then he felt warm.

Unusually warm, he noted, as he patted her head. He unwrapped her arms and pulled her away from him for a moment, looking down at her face. She had a flushed face. He placed his hand on her forehead and grimaced. She was burning up. "You've got quite a high fever." He said.

She nodded, smiling as she did so. How could she be happy while she was ill? He sighed. She looked up at him with a puzzled expression, and then she looked guilty. "I'm sorry." She mumbled, surprising him.

"What are you sorry for?" He asked.

She looked up at him with a guilty expression. "For falling ill." She said.

He had to chuckle at her words. There was something different about her, he thought, but it was adorable. "Well, I'd hate to say 'I told you so', but you know it's because you worked too hard this time." He said, chiding her. "Now you need to take some medicine and rest."

She nodded, and held onto his shirt. "I'll be good." She mumbled.

"I'll get your medicine." He said, ready to leave the house. "Go back to bed." He said, opening the door. He swore he saw a dejected and depressed look on her face as he left.

* * *

><p>"Oh, good luck with that." Lucy told Gajeel as he dropped by Fairy Tail to let Mirajane know about Levy's condition. Needless to say, Mira was not pleased and she could only nag even though Levy wasn't present.<p>

Gajeel gave Lucy a puzzled look. She grinned when he looked at her. "Thing about that wimp is that when she falls sick, she turns needy." She said.

Needy? He asked inwardly. Mirajane gave a light giggle. "I think it's cute." Gajeel wanted to know better about what they were talking about, and Mira could tell from his expression. "Levy tends to seek a lot of attention when she falls ill, just like a small child. Children tend to seek attention when they're ill, you know, even if they don't say it directly. She becomes like that when she falls ill. Has she done anything that made you think something was different about her?"

Gajeel chuckled. "Yes, she has. It was surprising, of course. I had never expected it." He said.

Mirajane giggled. "Well, do you need any help? I can make some soup for her."

Gajeel shook his head. "I am able to manage that, at least. I'll gladly take care of her." He said with a smile, and bid them goodbye as he headed back to the apartment. Mirajane told him that she would drop by later to check on Levy.

Mirajane stifled a squeal. "Lucy, I think this is wonderful." She said giddily, while the blonde scoffed.

* * *

><p>When Gajeel returned, he heard soft yet quick footsteps heading towards him. He stared at Levy, whose face was still flushed from her fever and her eyes were weary. Despite that, she looked visibly upset, and she even puffed up her cheeks. "You're late." She sulked.<p>

He gave a small laugh and placed a paper bag with Levy's medicine and food on the kitchen counter. "My apologies, I had done some grocery shopping." He said. "Did you get some sleep?" He asked.

Levy averted her gaze and mumbled a yes. It didn't sound convincing. "I'll make you something now, so go back to bed and wait." He said, but she shook her head. He frowned. "Then lay down on the couch." He said, and she shook her head again. She leaned on the wall and sat down on the floor near him in the kitchen, but keeping herself away from him so as to cause him no trouble. He sighed once again. "Alright." He said.

And so he made her soup as she sat on the kitchen floor quietly, until she eventually drifted off to sleep. When he was done, he woke her up. "Levy, time for lunch." He said and she stood up weakly. She leaned on him for support and nuzzled her face in his chest. He blushed lightly, but gently brought her to the dining table. He brought her a bowl of soup and a glass of water as she silently drank her soup, and he gave her medicine to take after she was done.

It was not long until he brought her back to bed again, and just like Mirajane said, she wanted his utmost attention. She held onto his hand even as she crawled into bed and he pulled the covers over her, and she whined when he removed her hand from his. He sat down on the side of her bed with a smile as she told him not to leave yet, and he placed his hand on the top of her head. At first he intended to neaten her messy hair, but he ended up playing with her bangs. She smiled tiredly, and her eyes drooped. In a few seconds she had fallen asleep once again, and he gently got off the bed and walked back to have a bowl of his own soup before reading a book.

* * *

><p>Gajeel left the house for a while to buy dinner and dropped by the guild once again. He met Jet and Droy, who asked him about Levy, to which he replied that she was resting. The two members of Shadow Gear chuckled, saying how unusually adorable she would be whenever she fell ill. Gajeel couldn't deny that.<p>

"Oh, Gajeel! I was just about to head over to your house. Is Levy alright?" Mirajane asked. Gajeel nodded. The barmaid giggled. "I think you'd be in trouble if she wakes up to find you gone." She said. "It's happened to me before."

Gajeel gave a laugh. "Why do you think Levy acts this way when she falls ill?" He asked.

"Hm," Mirajane gave a thoughtful pause. "I can only guess that it has to do with her childhood. Perhaps she never had to chance to be coddled by her parents. From what I know, they weren't well off, and they travelled a lot. It must have been difficult for them to take care of a child when they were in a harsh condition themselves…not that her parents didn't love her. I'm sure they did." She explained. "Of course, that's all my guess."

Gajeel nodded. Mirajane washed her hands and wiped them on a towel, and left her position as the guild's barmaid. She smiled. "Let's go to where Levy is." She said, and he gave a small smile in turn.

* * *

><p>Levy woke up around eight in the night. Her temperature had gone down slightly, but she was still burning. She grabbed a glass of water and chugged it down. Then she looked around the house to find that Gajeel was not around. She pouted and narrowed her eyes. Just then the door opened and Mirajane and Gajeel stepped inside. Levy dragged her feet towards them, and they stared down at her.<p>

Mirajane gave a friendly smile. "Hi, Levy. I came to check up on you." She said. "And I'll be making your dinner."

Levy felt a flare of jealousy rise in her body. She glared at the woman, and Mirajane giggled. Gajeel closed the door and turned to look at his blue haired housemate. He placed the palm of his hand on her forehead. "Your fever's still rather high," He said thoughtfully, when the ill woman puffed up her cheeks and buried her face in Gajeel's chest once again. He patted her head again.

"What were you doing with Mirajane?" Levy asked with a suspicious and upset tone.

Gajeel blinked, confused. "I dropped by the guild to let her know how you've been doing." He said, unsure as to why she sounded upset.

"My, my." Mirajane laughed. "Looks like someone is jealous." She said.

_Jealous?_ Gajeel thought, looking at the blue haired woman, who was now glaring at the barmaid while holding him close to her. He felt a flutter in his heart at the thought. Mirajane walked into kitchen and gathered ingredients for Levy's dinner. "Why don't you bring her back to bed, Gajeel? I'll be fine here."

Gajeel nodded, giving her his thanks as he brought Levy back to her bedroom. "Shouldn't you change out of your clothes?" He asked her, and she looked at her outfit. She was wearing her usual tube top and mini skirt. "Perhaps into something loose and comfortable." He added.

She walked towards her closet of clothes (which weren't a lot) and she pulled out an oversized white shirt. She dropped it onto the bed and immediately started to strip, when she heard a small yelp from Gajeel. "Wait until I leave!" He said, rushing out and closing the door behind him.

She snickered.

* * *

><p>Levy had snarled at Mirajane earlier, but after having Mirajane's food, she sat on the couch blissfully and lethargically, almost drifting off to sleep. The barmaid walked towards Levy and gave her the medicine to take, and sat next to Levy. She patted Levy's head, trying to neaten her messy hair. After a while, Mirajane decided to leave, seeing that Levy was in bed and resting well.<p>

Gajeel looked at the clock and noted that he should get to sleep as well. He took a bath and walked back to his bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. He closed the door and grabbed a pair of shorts and a shirt to wear, and once he changed he slipped into his bed and stared up at the ceiling, his arms placed behind his head as he recalled Lucy's words about Levy's past. He wondered why she worked so hard for two weeks as well. Was there something she wanted to do? And the dove she kept—she seemed to have wanted to throw it away, but at the same time he could tell that she couldn't bear to let it go either. What was on her mind, exactly?

Intending to ask her directly once she felt better, he went to sleep.

* * *

><p>Levy felt a lot better the next morning, and her usual demeanor was back. She no longer acted like a child, but she had a clear memory of what had happened yesterday. She couldn't look at Gajeel's face as he made himself a cup of coffee and she dashed to the bathroom. He chuckled, knowing that she was embarrassed of her behaviour last night.<p>

When he finished drinking his cup of coffee, he heard a shriek from the bathroom. He rushed to the bathroom when the door burst open and Levy ran out and bumped into him, but she latched onto his shirt and shivered. A rush of emotions flooded him—concern and curiosity over Levy's sudden shriek and embarrassment and (much to his discomfort) lust over her current naked state. Regardless, he had to ask what the matter was.

She shuddered. "There's a fucking huge ass worm in the bathroom!" She whimpered.

He refrained from touching her, lest he ended up getting even more excited than he was now. He removed her hands from him and fixing his gaze on the bathroom entrance; he walked towards it and peered in, seeing a centipede on the bathroom floor. He used the water running from the shower head to kill it, and then took a tissue to throw it into the bin nearby. "It's gone." He said, and chuckled. "And it was an insect, not a worm."

Levy was a shivering, wet heap on the floor, the image of the bug still on her mind. _Now I know she hates worms and insects_, he thought to himself, walking towards her. "You'll fall ill again if you don't wipe yourself." He said, holding out her towel for her. She took it from his hands and with a red face, she wrapped it around herself. He looked away and she dashed back into her room, slamming the door shut.

Gajeel sighed. He needed a cold shower.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Yes, finally updated! It feels like a filler chapter, though. I wanted to make it a comedic chapter. Reviews~


	8. Parental Guidance

**Parental Guidance**

"B-Babysit?" Levy said, blanching at the request. Alzack and Bisca had finally decided to marry, and they now have a young girl named Asuka. She was only three, and although she was rather obedient and was not a crazy, hyperactive child like many other kids (although Levy noticed she can be), Levy had no idea how to babysit a child. She looked at them with a deadpanned expression. "In case you've forgotten, I'm the least likely person to show a bit of care to anyone at all. How the fuck do you expect me to take care of a kid—much less, **your** kid?" She said.

The couple smiled, Bisca carrying a tired Asuka in her arms. "Oh, Levy. I know you can do it. Lucy ran away, for some reason, and Mirajane is always busy with her work here, and you're going to be at home anyway so we thought it'd be good if we asked you." Bisca explained. "Please, Levy? Al-Al and I haven't spent time by ourselves ever since Asuka was born. It's just for tonight and we'll come pick her up in the morning."

Levy snorted. "In other words, you wanna have sexy time together tonight." She said, making them blush, and Alzack cleared his throat in awkwardness.

"Please, Levy. Just this one time. It'll be a good experience, definitely. Asuka is a good girl, so you won't have a lot of trouble, trust me." Alzack said. "We'll also pay you."

Levy sighed. The couple were looking at her pleadingly, and she knew how hard it was to take care of a child. "Fine," She said with a sigh, and smiles lit up their face. "But only this time." She hissed, narrowing her eyes at them. They nodded enthusiastically and gave Asuka to her, who seemed to rouse from her sleep.

"Asuka, mama and papa will be gone for today, but you'll see us tomorrow morning. Until then, big sister Levy will take care of you!" Bisca said, and Alzack patter his daughter's head.

"Be good, okay?" Alzack said, and Asuka wordlessly nodded. She looked up at Levy. They weren't strangers, but Levy wondered whether the girl would open up to her. "We'll see you tomorrow! Have fun!" Alzack said as he and Bisca left the guild.

And so Levy came back home carrying a three year old girl in her arms, much to Gajeel's surprise.

* * *

><p>"You're babysitting?" Gajeel asked her incredulously as Asuka doodled on paper with a crayon set that belonged to her and paper that Gajeel had given. She sat on the living room floor as she doodled, and Gajeel and Levy sat on the dining table drinking coffee.<p>

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What's that tone of voice? I can take care of a kid." She said, and he laughed. "Hey, I mean it." She said.

Gajeel nodded. "I see. Then you will not need any help?" He asked.

"No." She said curtly, her pride stopping her from requesting any help.

"Hm," Gajeel said nonchalantly. "Very well." He read the newspaper on his table and drank his coffee. His nonchalance seemed to have irritated Levy, to his amusement, and she stood up.

"I'll show you, Gajeel. I'll show you everything I can do." She hissed, and the smile he gave her annoyed her even more. She made her way to Asuka. "Hey, let's go get some ice cream." She said, and the girl's eyes shined eagerly at getting a treat.

"Shall I come along?" He offered, but earned a glare from the blue haired woman. He was about to shrug when Asuka walked towards him and tugged on his pants. He looked down at her and carried her up, placing her on his lap. He grinned at Levy. "I should come along."

"What?" Levy asked in a deadpanned manner. "Oh, whatever. As long as she's happy." Levy muttered as she walked out of the house, Gajeel and Asuka following.

* * *

><p>A stroll in the park, which Asuka enjoyed very much with an ice cream in her hand, made Levy relax. They sat on an empty bench, Asuka licking her dripping ice cream while Levy wiped the girl's hands and mouth occasionally. She felt a little awkward. To a stranger, they must have looked like a family. While Levy knew she had feelings for Gajeel, being a part of a family was something that was far from her list of missions in life.<p>

She dazed off into the distance while she heard soft and gentle words from Gajeel as he spoke to Asuka. The girl replied to him in her cute little voice, and Levy started to imagine what it would feel like having a family. She scoffed inwardly. She wouldn't dare carry a kid in her belly for nine months.

"Levy?" She snapped out of her thoughts to look at Gajeel, and he smiled at her. She blushed. "What are you thinking about?" He asked with amusement.

She gulped. "Y-You know, um, stuff." She said. "About the next job I'm going to take." She lied.

"I think you should take a longer break." Gajeel said.

"I'm fine. Fever's don't last forever." She retorted.

He frowned. "Yes, but a break is a good thing. Coming out here for a stroll, doesn't it feel relaxing? You ought to have that more often." He chided.

Asuka looked at her two guardians with interest, despite the fact that she could only understand a bit of what they were saying. What she did understand was that tension was rising between them, and they didn't look happy.

"Please." She waved her dismissively. "There's a lot of work to be done, and money to earn. I'm going to earn my money whenever I can." She said.

"Why are you so adamant in earning money? As far as I know, you're living fine right now." He said.

Levy glared at him. "Yeah, totally fine." She said sarcastically. "Don't lie; I know I'm a burden in that house. You don't even like me." She said, remembering those hurtful words he said the first time they headed towards their current home. "And I can't live with a person who is uncomfortable with me under the same roof, so I'll leave. Problem solved." She said.

It was Gajeel who glared at her now, and Levy noticed that he looked rather frightening when he's angry. "I have not once said that, Levy. And I certainly do not think you should leave. You are a good friend, and I don't know how you've jumped to the conclusion that I'm uncomfortable with you, but that is a very stupid mistake." He said. She bit her lower lip. He sounded quite scary now. "You're not leaving that house." He said sternly.

She gaped at him. "Excuse me?" She asked incredulously. "Who are you to tell me where I should stay?" She asked.

The tension between them was thick, despite the pleasant atmosphere in the park. The one affected by it most was Asuka, and she started to tear up. She burst into tears, her sobs loud and startling. Her half-finished ice cream fell to the ground and Levy and Gajeel looked down at the girl with surprise. "What's wrong, Asuka?" Levy asked, wiping the girl's hands and mouth, and trying to calm her down.

Gajeel took out his handkerchief and wiped her tears. "Did something happen?" He asked the girl gently as she sniffs and her sobbing subsiding slightly. She was still crying, and she looked at them.

"Asuka, sowwy!" She said through her tears.

"Huh?" Levy looked at the girl. "Why? You haven't done anything wrong."

Gajeel pondered for a second. "I've heard that when adults are angry, children tend to feel that they've done something wrong. Perhaps she was afraid she'd done something wrong and we're angry."

Levy sighed as she wiped Asuka's tears away and patted her head. "Don't worry. It's not your fault. I'm sorry for scaring you." She said as she smiled a kind smile at the girl. Gajeel warmed up at the sight of Levy's smile. It was different from her usual smirks and snickers. He would have liked to see that smile more often.

They took a stroll around the rest of the park to calm Asuka down. They walked back home not long after when Asuka started to feel sleepy. Gajeel carried her in his arms as they walked back home. "Don't think I haven't forgotten about what you've said, Gajeel." Levy said softly.

"I haven't as well." He said.

Levy unlocked the door and Gajeel stepped inside. Asuka rubbed her weary eyes when Gajeel set her down, and Levy held her hand. "Come on, let's sleep in the bed." Levy said as she brought the girl to Levy's bed. Asuka snuggled under the covers and drifted off to sleep.

"Where will you be sleeping?" He asked her when she walked out of her room.

She shrugged. "The couch." She said, and after a slight pause, she snickered. "Why, shall I sleep with you tonight?" She asked teasingly, adding a mock seductive tone.

_I'm surprised you are still able to crack jokes like those_, Gajeel thought, but he smirked. He took a step forward closer. Sensing something different from usual, Levy took a step back. "Maybe," He took another step forward while she took another step back. "You should."

Another step forward, another step back. Levy gave a dismissive laugh. "I bet you wouldn't be able to sleep being so shy when a gorgeous woman like me is in your bed." She joked.

"Oh, I'd think it's the opposite." He said, taking one more step forward and pinning Levy against the wall.

She gave an inaudible gasp. _Wait, this is Gajeel, the well-mannered, respectful, smart man. He wouldn't…He wouldn't do_—

Gajeel placed his hand on her neck gently, tilting her chin up to look at him. She shivered slightly at the feel of his hand on her bare skin. "W-Wait," She whispered, feeling a little jittery. His face was leaning closer to hers, and she licked her bottom lip.

Needless to say, he was enjoying this. And she was enticing him. He should have to stop soon, or else he might do something that may end up bad. But she was so tempting. He only meant to do this as a joke, just to get her back for what she's said. She licked her bottom lip, and he had the urge to capture her lips with his. He leaned down closer and closer, and Levy's eyes shined in anticipation. She wanted the kiss, she had to admit. But he was so painstakingly slow. Just when their lips were so close to touching, he pulled away, leaving her startled and flustered.

He chuckled. "Sorry, I went too far." He said. "I'll get us some food; it'll be on me." He said as he dashed out of the house. In truth, he was flustered as well. He was so close to ravishing her there, but that would do no good. _Calm yourself_, he said in his mind.

Levy slid down the wall and to the ground, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. _So close_, she thought. She was so close to bringing him into a kiss. She was so close to going so far with him. She fumed. God, he was such a fucking jerk, to play a joke like that. Even if she did joke about being in his bed, he didn't have to do that! She clenched her fists, and then loosened her grip.

"Oh man," She whispered as she buried her face in her knees. "I want him so bad." She muttered.

* * *

><p>Gajeel returned about half an hour later, a bag of food in his hand as he opened the door. He placed the food on the kitchen counter and walked towards the living room, seeing Levy sprawled on the couch lazily. She undid her usual headband, so her hair was spread out messily. She was not asleep, but she made no effort to get up. He scratched his cheek lightly, looking awkward. At least she was wearing shorts. "I'm back." He said.<p>

"Hm." She mumbled, staring at the ceiling.

He gave a small laugh. "What's wrong?"

"You know, two could play the game." She said, sitting up. Her lips lifted into a smirk.

He gave a nervous smile. "You know I'm sorry for what happened earlier." He said.

"You know I'm not taking your apology." She retorted, getting off the couch. "You know I'm not happy with what you've just done."

He cringed. If she keeps this up, they might end up doing something that they might regret. "I know, Levy. But I think we should talk this out," She walked closer to him. "Than to do whatever you're planning to do." He said, putting his hands up defensively.

"Well you didn't fucking think of that when you were doing it, weren't you—shit!" She yelped, falling forward into his arms. She slipped on a crayon that Asuka left on the floor. _Damn you, crayon_, Levy thought, her face buried in his chest.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, his voice rumbling in his chest. She sighed, mumbling a 'yeah'. Just then Asuka appeared from the bedroom, and she looked at them curiously. Levy was being held by Gajeel and she looked rather comfortable. The girl's lips lifted into a gleeful smile as she giggled and ran back into the bedroom. Levy pushed away from Gajeel , a bright blush on her face.

Asuka returned to them, patting her tummy. "Foo'!" She said.

Levy looked at the girl for a moment when her own stomach grumbled loudly. "Food." She said, looking at Gajeel.

He chuckled.

* * *

><p>After dinner and a bath, Levy placed Asuka in her bed once again, the little girl yawning and rubbing her eyes. "You're already tired, so go to sleep." Levy said, managing to occupy the other side of the bed since Asuka didn't take that much of space. Levy had her chin propped on her hand as she pulled the covers over the girl.<p>

"Mama. Papa." Asuka mumbled sleepily. Levy smiled.

"They'll be here tomorrow morning." She said, stroking the girl's head gently. Levy had to admit that Asuka looked adorable, and she had Bisca's and Alzack's appearance in her. Maybe that was one of thenicest thing you'll see when you have your own kid. Soon after the girl drifted off to sleep, so did Levy.

* * *

><p><em>Levy sighed. She had another day of work to do. She walked into the living room and towards the bathroom, when she spotted Mirajane. "What are you doing here?" She asked. She felt a strong pair of arms circle around her waist and pull her close. She looked behind to see Gajeel. "Um…" She blushed, wondering what the hell was happening. She looked back to where Mirajane was standing, hoping to get an answer, when she was turned around and given a kiss by Gajeel. It was a soft, gentle kiss at first, but things soon started to get wild. Oh shit, but Mirajane's here! She thought frantically.<em>

"Levy!" She opened her eyes, and with a yelp she fell off her bed. She looked up at Gajeel, who was carrying Asuka in his arms. "Finally, you're awake." He said.

Asuka giggled as Levy looked up at them half-asleep, and her bed hair a terrible mess. "Oh fuck." She said, and Gajeel frowned.

"You shouldn't say that in front of Asuka." Gajeel chided.

Levy stood up and fumed. "It's because of you, I..." She froze. She couldn't possibly tell him anything about the dream! She grabbed some clothes and her towel and dashed to the bathroom. She slapped herself mentally. He's really getting to her. This was not good. Maybe she really should leave the house. She was actually glad he told her not to leave, but they were dangerously close to having something close to a relationship, and she's just not ready for that.

_And why the fuck was Mirajane in that stupid dream? _She yelled in her mind.

* * *

><p>Levy nursed a mug of hot coffee as Asuka started drawing on the paper she left on the living room table yesterday. She couldn't forget the dream, and the dream felt so real. His touch and his kisses felt so real. She buried her face in her arm. Gajeel sat across her in curiosity. "What's wrong? Are you ill again?" He asked.<p>

"No," She mumbled curtly. Great, now he's right in front of her. Just a glance at him would surely make her remember the dream. She felt his hand on her arm and she looked up.

He looked at her in concern. "What's the problem?" He asked.

"…You." She said, startling him. The doorbell rang, and Levy got up to open it. There stood Bisca and Alzack, with satisfied and happy smiles on their faces.

"Hi, Levy!" Bisca said. "Where's Asuka?"

Levy showed the couple in. Asuka ran towards her parents happily. "Mama! Papa!" She said happily. Bisca and Alzack hugged their daughter.

"Oh, I missed you so much!" Bisca said happily. Alzack smiled gratefully at Levy, and then at Gajeel. Bisca snickered as she whispered in Levy's ear. "Hm, so you've got a man."

Levy flushed. "Shut up, it's not like that!" She whispered sharply.

"By the way, Levy," Alzack said, and she faced him. "It seems Lucy broke the washing machine at the guild again. Mirajane's asking you to fix it." He said.

Levy clenched her fist. "That bitch," She muttered angrily. "Can't she ever wash her clothes without destroying anything?" She hissed. "I'll come by later." She said exasperatedly.

Saying their goodbyes to Asuka and her parents, Levy sighed once the door closed. Gajeel chuckled. "What?" Levy asked.

"Just remembering how adorable you were with Asuka." He said as he walked to his bedroom.

She followed after him. "About yesterday, I…" She paused.

"What about yesterday?" He asked her with his back facing her.

Levy looked elsewhere. "Never mind. I'm going to the guild." She said as she left, and Gajeel sighed once the door of their house closed shut.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Yay finally updated! Tension arise as they both succumb to their desires! Reviews please?


	9. Stray Cat

**Stray Cat**

"Bitch, do you know how to use washing machines? And what the fuck happened to your own?" Levy snarled at the blonde who rolled her eyes nonchalantly. "I'll take this spanner and crack your damn skull open!" She yelled, but was held back by Mirajane.

"Shut up. Mine broke, so I had to come here to do my laundry. Chill the fuck out." Lucy said before leaving the laundry room of the guild while calling for Natsu.

Levy gritted her teeth. "Must be waving her iron fists around without a damn thought," She muttered under her breath as she took off her shirt, revealing a yellow bikini top underneath. Mirajane giggled.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Levy. You should be taking a rest instead." Mirajane said apologetically.

Levy scoffed. "I was just about to get back to work anyway. Now get lost." The woman said snarkily as she grabbed a few tools and started getting to work.

"Good luck!" The barmaid said as she headed back to the bar.

* * *

><p>Levy finished a few hours later, and the laundry room was terribly hot and stuffy that she came out of it sweating like a pig. She collapsed on a bar stool and Mirajane gave her a cold glass of juice, which she drank with gratitude. As she rests her head on the counter, she could sense Mirajane's eyes on her. "Spit it out." Levy said gruffly.<p>

Mirajane gave a small smile. "I was wondering when you'd finally tell Gajeel how you feel about him." She said.

Levy raised her head and looked at Mirajane, her eyebrow raised at her response. "The only thing I'm finally going to tell him is that I'm going to leave that house." She said.

"Levy, you can't mean that." The barmaid said sadly. "You've settled into that house well. Why leave now?" She asked.

Levy frowned. She did settle into that house well. Sure, all that's happened so far were full of embarrassing and unexpected moments—hardly things that she'd expect to experience just by sharing a home with someone else—but she was comfortable there. She…liked it there.

And that was a big no for her, not when Gajeel was part of the picture.

"And that's exactly why I have to leave." Levy said, her fists clenching on the counter.

"You don't want to." Mirajane said. "I know you, Levy. You don't want to leave."

"_You're not leaving that house."_

"Stop it." Levy said, irritated. "You think you know me, but you don't! Stop saying things you don't understand!" She said.

Mirajane set the mug she was wiping on the shelf very gently that it hardly made a sound, but Levy found it unusually unsettling, as if Mirajane was about to do something that she had never seen before. "Look here, Levy." The barmaid hissed. Levy cringed. "I don't know why you refuse to let go of what happened back then, but it's time to let go of it. There is no magic left in this world. There are no longer Fairy Hunters. There isn't Reone. But there is you, and there is Gajeel, there is this guild, and I will not," Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Allow you to keep swimming around in that silly past of yours and not move forward."

Levy fell silent, unable to say anything in response to what Mirajane had said, not even an 'okay'. She gulped. Even whoever was in the guild fell silent, hearing Mirajane's demonic side for the first time. It seemed as if the rest of the guild dared not say anything until either Levy or Mirajane spoke, and there was a thin air of tension between Mirajane and Levy, although it seemed more as if Mirajane was pushing the tension on Levy.

Levy stood up. "I said to stop it, Mirajane." She said. "I can think about it myself, and I don't need you to tell me what's wrong with me!" She said as she ran out of the guild.

Mirajane sighed. "My, my. She's just like a small child." She said with a small smile.

* * *

><p>Levy was walking back home when she passed by a stray kitten. It meowed in a tiny voice, thin to a stick, and nuzzled her feet. She knew it just wanted food, but she couldn't just let it go. "Hey, you." She mumbled, stroking its furry head. She contemplated on bringing it home. "Well, not like anyone could say much about it as long as I'm taking care of it." She thought, picking up the kitten and bringing it home.<p>

She found that Gajeel was not home. Probably at work, she thought as she fed the starving kitten with kitten biscuits that she bought nearby. "After this, you're taking a bath." She said with a grin as the kitten glanced at her for a second before stuffing its face with food. She watched it eat as she sat on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest. "And in the end, you'd probably leave me too, after all the care and affection I give to you." She mumbled.

She sighed inaudibly. _Why am I so scared of everyone leaving me? _She thought. _I don't want to be alone. I hate being alone. That's why I like being at the guild. That's why I stayed in the guild. I didn't look for my parents, and I never asked about them because I was afraid they wouldn't care about me when I found them. And Reone,_ she felt bitterly, _he just…betrayed me, put the guild in danger, and left me in the end._

_Wouldn't Gajeel leave me too? That's why I have to leave before it gets too painful_.

She walked to her room, seeing the dove that her parents had left her. She knew that deep inside, there were things she couldn't let go of in the end. This dove was one of them. It shouldn't matter anymore, not when they didn't bother coming back for her. She clenched it in her hand, but she set it down immediately after, afraid it would break. She walked back to the kitten and it was cleaning itself after it finished eating. She grinned, stroking its head. She picked the kitten up. "Bath time!" She said, grabbing a towel and a bottle of shampoo that she had also bought earlier and bringing all that was in her arms to the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Gajeel returned after an interview, and he spotted a shivering ball of white fur under the coffee table of the living room. "Uh…"<p>

"Oh." Levy appeared from her room. "I picked him up when I was walking back home." She said. "And I just gave him a bath, so he's all clean."

"Is that a cat?" He asked, although he could tell. He just didn't know what else to ask.

"Can't you see?" She asked. "Anyway, I felt sorry for him, so I took him in. He seems to know where to shit and stuff," She pointed to the litter box on the balcony, and Gajeel smiled helplessly at her choice of words. "I'll take care of him, so you don't need to worry about anything." She said.

Gajeel chuckled. "Alright. I don't have any problems about keeping him, it was just surprising." He said. "I didn't think you'd come home with a kitten."

"He'll leave…eventually." She mumbled, walking back to her room. Gajeel watched her go, feeling somehow concerned about how she said those words.

"Levy, are you okay?" He asked when he stood outside her room. The door wasn't closed, so he could see her shifting her things around. "You sounded a little down."

She frowned at him. "None of your business. I'll deal with it myself."

Gajeel smiled patiently. "How about letting me help you, for once?"

"Rely on you?" She scoffed. "I'm not weak."

"That's not a sign of weakness." He said.

Levy glared at him. "Just leave me be. I said I don't need help. God, you and Mirajane, and even Lucy, can't you guys just stop?" She asked.

Gajeel looked at Levy with upset. "We care for you, Levy. It's surprising how much you say all of that when you really want us to care." He said as he left her alone with mixed feelings of anger and regret.

* * *

><p>Mirajane sensed that something was different about Levy when she appeared at the guild that afternoon, but Levy didn't seem to want to talk about it after what had happened earlier in the morning. Despite that, Mirajane persisted on making her talk about why she looked gloomier. "Did you have a fight with Gajeel?" She asked, and Levy grimaced, confirming Mirajane's suspicions.<p>

"What did you say?" She asked.

"Are you blaming me?" Levy asked defensively.

"No, I just want to know what you said. What did he say, then?" Mirajane asked.

Levy looked elsewhere, knowing for sure that if she told Mirajane what Gajeel had said, she would agree with him completely. Levy had no doubts about that, because even she agreed with him herself. "It's nothing important." She said in the end.

"You seem very disappointed over it, so I'd think it is quite important." Mirajane said.

"I…I know it's my fault." Levy said in defeat.

Mirajane smiled kindly, placing her hand over Levy's. Despite the amount of work Mirajane's done around the guild, her hands were as soft and gentle as ever. Levy felt guilty over what she's said to her in the morning. "Sometimes, you have to hear what other people say, Levy. And don't forget, we all care about you." She said.

Levy nodded. "Why do you work so hard behind this counter? Why don't you get out and take on missions like the rest of us?" She asked softly.

Mirajane giggled. "That's because I cherish this place too much to leave it. Besides, Laxus works hard to keep this guild standing, so I can at least do my part by keeping it spick-and-span whenever he returns."

Levy blinked for a few moments, and then her lips curved into a smirk. "Hm," She hummed slyly. "So it's Laxus." She said with a teasing tone.

Mirajane had a rigid smile on her face. "Whatever do you mean, Levy?" She asked.

"Oh, dear Mirajane. There shan't be any need to play dumb any longer." Levy said before skipping out of the guild and leaving a blushing barmaid furiously wiping the counter.

* * *

><p>The moment Levy opened the door, the kitten she picked up dashed out of the door. "Ah! Wait!" She called out to it, but it ran down the steps swiftly, and she stopped at the door. Gajeel came out of his room and to the entrance where Levy stood, and guessed that the kitten escaped.<p>

"Levy?" He called out to her, and expected her to look sad, but she seemed fine.

"He ran out." She said, stepping into the house and closing the door.

"…Why didn't you chase after him?" Gajeel asked.

"I wouldn't be able to catch up to him." She said indifferently.

"Why didn't you try?" He asked.

"Hm," was all she replied, and then walked to her room and closing the door.

Half an hour after, the door bell rang. Gajeel stood up from his seat and walked out of his room, glancing at Levy's bedroom door and walked towards the house door to open it. Mirajane stood on the other side with a smile. "Hello, Gajeel. Is Levy here?" She asked politely.

Gajeel returned her smile. "She is, although she's locked herself in her room." He said with a helpless smile as Mirajane walked towards Levy's room and knocked on it gently.

"Levy, come out. I have something to tell you." She said, and soft footsteps from inside came towards the door and it opened. Levy yawned, her hair disheveled from her nap. Mirajane giggled, and Gajeel hid his embarrassed blush, noting silently to himself that Levy looked adorably sexy at the moment.

"What?" Levy groaned out sleepily.

"Laxus," Mirajane paused, sighing at Levy's smirk. "He's coming tonight, so I thought we should throw a party for him. A small one, but you know how the guild is. Anyway, I'll be expecting you there." She turned around to look at Gajeel. "And you're welcome as well, Gajeel. Do come, it'll be fun." She said.

"Thank you, Mirajane." Gajeel said, and after a short exchange of words, Mirajane left to prepare the guild for the party. Gajeel looked at Levy once again, unable to hide his smile at her current look.

"What?" Levy asked rather gruffly.

He shook his head as he walked back to his room and Levy quirked her eyebrow at his peculiar behaviour.

* * *

><p>"Woah, Mirajane. Seems like you went all out." Levy said, looking at all the food and drinks, as well as the decorations that were surrounding the guild. Some were already getting the party started before Laxus even showed up.<p>

Mirajane smiled. "It's not often that he comes back to visit." She said as she placed a stack of paper plates on one end of a long table lined with food.

"Do you need any help?" Gajeel offered, and Mirajane gratefully asked him to help her bring out some things. Levy grumbled. Gajeel was getting too chummy with Mirajane.

"She's got her eyes set on someone!" Levy yelled at Gajeel as he and Mirajane stared at Levy incredulously. The blue haired woman stomped off to where Jet and Droy were.

"What in the world is she talking about?" Gajeel asked as Mirajane started giggling. Gajeel looked at her questioningly.

"She's jealous," The barmaid said with a teasing tone. "She must be thinking you're getting too close to me." She said amusedly as she continued placing various foods on another table.

_Jealous?_ Gajeel thought as he placed a basket of cutlery on the table. _But that would mean…_

"Laxus is back!" Elfman said as the mentioned blonde man walked into the guild. Mirajane froze for a moment, noticed by Gajeel and Levy (because Lord knows she wouldn't miss the day she would see Mirajane flustered because of a man). Laxus was a prim and proper man—he seemed to have come straight from work, because he was dressed in a suit. His build was large, but his blue eyes showed more kindness than anything else, so he hardly seemed scary. Laxus laughed at the conspicuous decorations and amount of food that was laid before him, and he grinned at Mirajane. "A bit too much, isn't it?" He asked amusedly.

Mirajane smiled. "It's not every day that you come for a visit. We hardly see you." She said.

Levy snorted. "You mean **you** hardly see him." She muttered under her breath, unheard by anyone.

"True," Laxus said, stealing a fry from the basket of fries and popping it into his mouth. "I'm guessing you prepared all of this?" He asked the barmaid.

Mirajane shyly nodded. Levy snorted again. "How is it?"

"Magnificent." Laxus grinned, and his praises embarrassed Mirajane.

Gajeel chuckled. At this point it was obvious that Mirajane has feelings for Laxus. It was rather sweet, he thought. Laxus spotted Gajeel, made his way towards him and introduced himself. Gajeel did the same, and they hit it off pretty well. The party officially started, and it wasn't long until everybody starting stuffing their faces with food. Laxus was being hogged by various people, while Levy, Gajeel, and Mirajane sat together and ate, although it seemed as though Mirajane was at her usual post behind the counter serving drinks while she ate.

"Can't you put those mugs down and eat properly?" Levy asked, annoyed.

Before Mirajane could answer, Laxus came towards the three. "Levy's right." He ruffled the blue haired woman's head, making her scowl. He chuckled. "Come on, Mirajane. I'm sure everyone's able to serve their own drinks for tonight. Besides, we haven't talked in ages, so I'd like to have a good catching up session with you." He said.

Mirajane couldn't hide the blush that spread across her cheeks, and Levy smirked. "Hey, I'll take your place instead!" The blue haired woman said confidently.

"Are you sure?" Mirajane and Gajeel asked simultaneously with concern, earning a laugh from Laxus and a glare from Levy.

"Shut up. Now go on, Mira." She pushed the barmaid out of the counter and nearly into Laxus' arms.

"L-Levy!" Mirajane said, flustered.

"Ooh, hearing a stutter from you. That's a first." Levy teased, earning a light slap from the barmaid. Levy giggled as she skipped behind the counter and grinned confidently. "I'll do great, you'll see!"

Gajeel gave a reassuring smile at Mirajane. "I'll be here to keep an eye on things." He said.

Mirajane looked hesitant at first, but seeing Laxus' face made her think twice. "Alright," She smiled. "I'll leave it to you then, Levy. And Gajeel, make sure she doesn't drink too much." Mirajane said, and the writer nodded, watching the two head to an empty table with drinks.

"Told you, she's got her eyes set on someone." Levy said, and Gajeel smiled eagerly.

"It doesn't hurt to try my luck if she's not taken yet." He said.

"But…but you can't try your luck on Mirajane!" She said.

"Oh?" He smiled wider. "And why not?"

A blush spread across her cheeks. "B-Because she likes Laxus."

"She could end up falling for me."

"She won't!"

"Why are you so sure?" He was completely amused by her reactions.

"Because…" She trailed off, trying to think of a reason. "Besides, y-you're not half the man Laxus is." She said hastily.

Gajeel didn't take her reason to heart, knowing that she didn't mean it, but it did feel a little painful. "That hurts me rather deeply, Levy. I'm not similar to Laxus, but I didn't think I would be lesser than him." He said, sounding more pained than he intended to be.

She cringed. "No, I…I didn't mean it. I'm sorry." She said softly. "You're good. Mira would…" She cast her eyes to the floor, feeling slightly depressed. Gajeel looked at her anxiously, wondering if she was angry. Maybe he had pushed it too far. "She would like a guy like you, I'm sure." She said in the end, surprising Gajeel.

He had hoped that she would at least burst into anger and give him a hint of her feelings for him.

Levy clenched her fists. That was such a hard thing to say, she realized. She grabbed a mug, poured it full of beer and chugged it down, much to Gajeel's surprise and concern. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and took a deep breath. She grabbed another mug and poured it full, placing it in front of Gajeel. "Drink up." She demanded.

Gajeel grimaced. "I'd…rather not." He said.

"What? Refusing a drink from a lady? How dare you?" She asked in mock outrage.

He sighed, taking a few gulps. "I'm really not in a mood to drink." He said, placing the drink down on the counter. He had only drunk a quarter of the contents.

"No excuses. Drink it up!" She said, and then stopped, staring at him in surprise. "Are you…weak?" She asked.

"W-Well, I'd like to think I'd be able to hold out in a fight." He said.

"No, I mean do you have a weak tolerance for alcohol?" She asked.

He avoided her eyes. "It's kind of embarrassing to say." He said.

She grinned. "Well you can't be that bad. Drink that up." She said, pushing the mug to him. He stared at the cold liquid, and then at her expectant face. He picked up the mug, placed it on his lips and chugged it down. Levy cheered until the last drop, and he placed the mug down. A tint of red spread across his cheeks, and he felt warm. She stifled her laughter. "Wow, you're so red already." She said. She poured him another mug. "Another one wouldn't hurt." She said.

He looked at her reluctantly. She placed her hands on her hips, telling him that she wouldn't take a refusal. He was starting to see things in a daze, although his thoughts were still quite fine. Nevertheless, something made him pick up that mug and chug it down. Levy laughed. Gajeel placed the mug on the counter. "I think this is all I should take." He said, getting up.

"Oh come on, are you seri—Gajeel!" She called out in concern when he fell the moment he stood. She rushed to his side. "Are you okay?" She asked, and Mirajane, Laxus, Jet, Droy, and a few others came over to check on him.

"Just fine," He managed to say, standing up with her help. He swayed. "Perhaps not." He mumbled.

"You seem to talk like usual though." Levy said.

"I do need to take a trip to the washroom." He said, before looking quite queasy.

She grimaced. "Alright, alright. Hold that in." She said as she walked him to the washroom behind. Leaving him in the washroom, she wondered if he was fine. "I shouldn't have made him drink." She muttered with a sigh. The door opened and he came out, and Levy looked at him in concern. "Did you hurl?"

"No." He said, looking down at her with dazed eyes and his face red from the drinks.

"Gajeel? You okay?" She asked him, when she felt his arms circle her waist.

"Don't leave." He whispered, his lips close to her ear. She shivered, feeling his warm breath on her.

"What are you talking about?" She asked softly.

"That cat; he might have left, but I won't." He said, surprising her. She tensed, and he held her tighter. "Trust me."

"O-Oh man, we need to get you home." She said, trying to dismiss his words, but he didn't seem to take that from her.

"Listen to me." He demanded, and she froze. "Listen to me, Levy. Hear me out. I don't want you to leave the house, and I don't want to leave you. So stay. You don't have to love me. We can just be friends, but I love you. I care about you. So—"

"Let's go home, okay?" She interrupted, her voice quivering. "Let's get you home and have a good night's rest." She said hastily as she released herself from his arms and helped him out of the guild, saying goodbye to everyone before leaving.

* * *

><p>It was a little tough getting him back home, since he was much larger than her and his weight was double of hers. In addition to that, he refused to let go of her hand. When they finally reached home, she put him in his bed. His grip on her arm was tight, and she wasn't able to let go of him. "Don't go." He pleaded, and she felt a lump in her throat.<p>

Levy held back from bursting into anger, or tears, she didn't know. "You know I can't—" She gave a soft yelp when she was pulled down on the bed to his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. _What do I do?_ She asked herself in panic, but relaxed in his arms. She wanted this, she knew, but she was always too scared for it. And now, hearing that accidental confession from him, she was scared of believing him.

She gripped his shirt, burying her face in his chest and hearing his heartbeat and soft breaths, lulling her to sleep. _Just tonight_, she thought. _Just this one time_.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

I'm reading Fairy Tail 271 as well as typing this out and I laughed at Flare's face. She looks so funny, like her eyes are going to pop out. I feel sorry for Levy, she trained so hard and she doesn't even become part of the team. I feel as if Mashima-sensei isn't giving Levy as much credit as she deserves. I mean, I feel the same way for Lucy (because every fight she's been in has shown her as a useless fighter, no offense. I don't hate Lucy, I just want her to show her true strength) but Levy doesn't even appear much! [On a side note, I'm glad chapter 271 showed Lucy being a good fighter for once. Raven Tail is pissing me off.]

Anyway, that's enough of ranting. Reviews, please? This chapter's a little bit more serious than the previous ones, I guess? But I enjoyed writing it. You have no idea how many times I deleted my earlier drafts of this chapter. But I'm glad I finally wrote this one.


	10. Pleasurable Agony

**Pleasurable Agony**

What's a good thing to wake up to? Well, let's name a few—waking up to breakfast in bed? Or how about waking up with a refreshing feeling to good scenery in the countryside? Waking up to a stress free day, perhaps? How about waking up to know that there's a nice bath waiting for you?

What about waking up to the person you love in your arms?

Because that was the current predicament that Gajeel was situated in. He tried to remember what happened last night. He was sure he attended the party in the guild. _Oh, that's right_, he groaned inwardly. _I drank_. He was sure that Levy was the one who brought him back home. Worse part of it all, he remembered everything that he said last night. To Levy. He made a fool of himself.

Now she was asleep, in his arms, and in his bed. And he now understands why she always loved to hug her pillows while she sleeps. She just automatically holds on to something while she sleeps, and currently, he has fallen victim to that.

Her face was nuzzled in his chest and her arms were wrapped around his torso. Her right leg was wrapped around his waist, and he couldn't get out of her grip as she slept. She was literally hugging him as if he was her pillow, and truth be told, he hardly felt like a victim in his current state. On the contrary, he felt warm and…_and aroused_.

_Damn it_, he thought. _I shouldn't be feeling this way right now! It's not right!_ He tried to get her arms and legs off him gently, but she refused to budge. Instead, she held him tighter, and she pressed herself closer against him. _No, no, no, no...Please Levy, you can't do this to me,_ he thought, flustered as he could imagine a lot of things—dirty things, he admitted—that could happen between them.

A soft giggle was heard in her sleep. He looked down at her, and saw a small smile on her face. She must be having a nice dream, which also made him wonder what she was dreaming about. He relaxed for a moment, relishing her warmth before she woke up and caused a commotion. He paused in his thoughts. What if she willingly came here? No, that would be strange. Maybe he did something! He blanched. People do all sorts of things when they're drunk, and he was no exception. He must have done something, or said something for them to end up asleep in the same bed.

He groaned inwardly. What a situation. In the meantime, Levy was having a sweet dream of her being in a relationship with Gajeel. She would have found it strange in reality, but she was deep in her dream and in the dream, she found it completely natural. She was having a good time. They were just in the house, but she was in his arms as they stared into each other's eyes, and she blushed. His eyes were so red, she realized, and their lips were slowly closing the gap between them into a kiss…

She opened her eyes slowly, still half asleep and her thoughts in a dream. With half lidded eyes, she tilted her face upwards to look at an embarrassed Gajeel, and her lips curved into a sleepy smile. She stared at those red eyes of his, and her hands slowly moved up along his chest and then placed it on his cheek, her lips moving agonizingly slowly towards his. Gajeel froze. Was she willingly doing this? What was on her mind? What if she would regret this? He didn't want her to regret.

"Lev—" He was silenced by her lips upon his, and even though he wasn't sure why this was happening, her lips were coaxing him to give in. And so his arms circled her waist and he delved in deeper, the kiss becoming intense.

Levy gave a soft moan when her eyes shot open in realization of the situation they were in. She rolled off the bed and her face turned beet red. "What did I—What did you—What happened?" She asked in shock.

Gajeel sat on his bed, looking down at her confused state without any surprise. He expected this, and he felt guilty for it. And if she was going to blame him for it, he'd accept it. After all, he did steal a kiss from her without her knowledge.

"I'm sorry." She said as she walked out of the room, much to his surprise. He heard the door of her bedroom close softly, leaving him to wonder why she was acting unusually different.

* * *

><p>Levy buried her face in her knees as she sat on her bed, her knees drawn to her chest. She couldn't get the confession Gajeel made last night out of her head. In addition to that, she kissed him just now! <em>I knew something was wrong!<em> She screamed in her mind, but when she took a deep breath and felt the lingering feeling of their lips and more, she knew something. A blush spread across her cheeks and a small smile on her face was hidden behind her knees.

Her smile faded, and she was left to ponder on what would happen from now on. She couldn't look him in the eyes anymore. It was too embarrassing, and too scary. She had fallen in love with him but whether she could trust him, or even herself, she didn't know.

There was a soft knock on her door and her head shot up. Even she had little dreams of him coming inside to give her a gentle kiss…or something of that sort. But dreams like that rarely happen. "Levy, I should apologize. I should have stopped you earlier." Gajeel said from the other side. She frowned. This wasn't what she wanted to hear. She didn't care whose fault it is. She walked towards her door and opened it, looking at a slightly surprised Gajeel.

"Do you regret it?" She asked him.

Although taken aback, he decided to be honest. "No." He answered softly.

"Then don't apologize." She said curtly.

Gajeel looked down at her stern face. There wasn't a bit of regret in her expression. "Are you implying that you don't regret it?" He asked.

She blushed, but nodded.

"You can't mean that." Gajeel said.

Her eyes widened slightly. "Why not?" She asked.

"Because you don't…" He faltered. _It would be a bad idea to bring this up_, he thought. She didn't have to love him to kiss him, although he wished she did. After all, knowing Levy, she wouldn't handle this well.

Levy cast her eyes to the floor. "Let me sort out my feelings first." She said softly, but it was loud and clear enough for Gajeel. He wanted to double check if what he heard was right, but he was afraid she would say something different.

He would have offered to help her, but he guessed that this was something she needed to do herself. He smiled. "Alright. I'll wait." He said gently. He looked down at her meek face. "But grant me this," He said as he leaned down. Levy's heart beat faster, hoping that he would kiss her on her lips, but she felt a soft peck on her cheek. She stared at him as he grinned at her.

She couldn't help but fume at him. "You did that on purpose." She hissed.

"I haven't t the slightest idea what you're talking about." He said with an innocent smile.

"You…you…fucking idiot!" She yelled, slamming the door on him. She heard a chuckle and she threw her pillow at the door.

"Okay, I'm sorry, Levy." He said. "I'd give you a proper one if you'd open the door."

"I don't want one." She sulked. "Go. Away." She said.

After a small pause, she heard a sigh. "Alright." He said, and soft footsteps were heard moving away from her door. Her sulking stopped, and she went to the door and opened it slowly only for it to be fully open by Gajeel. She stared up at him with her mouth slightly open, and he took the opportunity to scoop her in his arms. She yelped, and he threw her on her bed. She puffed up her cheeks.

"Stop playing around! I can't believe you're acting just like a kid!" She said.

Gajeel laughed. "Look who's talking, sulking like that just because I gave you a kiss on the cheek." He teased.

She blushed lightly, and pushed him away gently. "Go away." She sulked again.

"This time, I will." He said softly, giving her a gentle kiss on her other cheek. "To work, of course." He grinned, as he went to his bathroom with a fresh set of clothes, and after a few minutes, he reappeared.

Levy needed time to think. The answer was obvious, but she felt hesitant. He grabbed his notebook and his wallet, stuffed them in his pocket, and gave her a smile as he placed his hand on the doorknob.

"Gajeel," She called out to him, stopping him from opening the door. He walked towards her. "I…I love…" She cast her eyes to the ground, a blush spreading across her cheeks as well as uncertainty in her eyes.

He patted her head. "I said I'd wait, Levy. Take your time." He said as he gave her a loose hug. "And I said I won't leave you." He said.

She nodded and he released her from his hold, waving as he left the house. The door closed softly, and she was left to berate herself. "I'm a fucking idiot." She mumbled to herself as she got ready for the day.

* * *

><p>"Will you write for me, Gajeel?" Jellal asked the freelance writer as they sat in the King's private lounge. The blue haired man was serious, and Gajeel was sure that he couldn't leave without an affirmative answer.<p>

"What do you mean by that?" Gajeel asked suspiciously.

Jellal looked at the writer for a moment, and then smiled. "I am not asking you to write about me with sugar coated words. I want you to write for this country. Of course, you've always been doing that, but I'm requesting something…deeper. It is a lot more dangerous than before, and if you'd rather not then I would not blame you for it." He explained.

Gajeel looked hesitant. Getting into deeper danger was something he would like to avoid, but the thought of it made him shiver in excitement. There was something he could find out and tell the country. There was so much to discover. "Let me think about it." He said.

King Jellal nodded. "Well, if you ever decide to take up the job," He handed a folder to the writer. "I trust you'd keep this to yourself." He said.

Gajeel nodded as he held onto the folder. He gave a bow to the King before leaving. As he walked back home, his mind drifted to his earlier discussion with the King. Would it be a good idea for him to step into that area? His life would certainly be targeted by various people, more than he already was. And then there's Levy, who he promised he would never leave, and he intends to keep his promise. If he put himself in danger out there, she would worry. She did worry after for that little article he wrote about illegal trading, so she might even freak out if she heard about this.

* * *

><p>"What's wrong, Levy?" Mirajane asked as she placed a breakfast plate in front of the blue haired girl. "Did you get into a fight with Gajeel again?" The barmaid asked, and then her lips curved into a suspicious smile. "Or did something interesting happen?" She asked eagerly.<p>

Levy blushed as she started eating her meal unusually quietly. "I love him." She mumbled very softly.

"I didn't catch that, Levy." Mirajane said.

The colour of Levy's cheeks became brighter. "I-I love Gajeel." She said slightly louder, but only for Mirajane's ears.

Mirajane looked at the blue haired woman. "That's old news." She said indifferently.

"What?" Levy's head shot up to stare at the barmaid. "What do you mean, 'that's old news'?" She asked incredulously. It was then that Lucy sat next to her and snickered.

"Oh little Levy. It's so obvious that you love him." Lucy said with a grin. "It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. Even Natsu knows." She said, and the pink haired man grimaced.

"What is that supposed to mean, Lucy? I'm not dumb." Natsu said indignantly. Lucy shot him a look and he cringed. The blonde then gave a sweet smile at him.

Levy rolled her eyes. "I just keep thinking of things that could happen—bad things—and I get scared." She mumbled as she drank her juice.

Lucy snorted. "You're a fucking idiot." She said.

Levy shot her a glare and sighed. "I know that." She muttered.

The barmaid giggled. "Stop caring about those things. Think happy ones. Like going on dates, or holding hands, or kissing, or making love—"

"M-Making love?" Levy blushed a deep red.

"Wow, all this love made Levy a putty girlie." Lucy snickered.

"Fuck off." Levy said awkwardly. "Why are we even talking about this?"

Mirajane giggled and Lucy snickered. "You're a lot more innocent than we thought." Mirajane said.

"You guys are more lewd than I thought you would be." Levy retorted.

"Oh please," Lucy scoffed. "You know you want it too." She snickered.

Levy looked elsewhere, but the blush forming on her cheeks were too apparent for the barmaid and the blonde. "Of course she wants it." Mirajane said sweetly.

* * *

><p>Gajeel sat in the apartment, gazing upon the folder that he had just received from the King. He didn't allow himself to read its contents until he decided to take on the job, but it seems that the answer was close to an affirmative. There was no denying that he wanted to do it, but he still had doubts about whether it was worth risking his life over it. Nevertheless, he took the folder and opened it. He pulled out a piece of paper and photographs of short man wearing a suit, hat and a pair of shades.<p>

Reading through the paper that he pulled out, he blinked. "Mafia?" He whispered, surprised. He hadn't expected there to be such a large organization in the city. Well, it is the city after all…

He couldn't help but feel excited. "I'll take on the job, your Highness." He mumbled with a grin as he left the house with the folder in a rush.

* * *

><p>"Gajeel—" Levy entered the house enthusiastically but spotted no sign of the man. "…Is not home." She mumbled disappointedly, but she wasn't too worried, since he would be back at the end of the day.<p>

…Or so she thought.

Two days passed, and he didn't return for two days. She was hardly worried, but she was angry. He left without a word, not even a note. How could he, after she came back home that day, ready to tell him that she wanted to be in a relationship with him! She clenched her fist when she entered his room once again, only to see no presence of that damn writer. She gritted her teeth. "Go to hell, Gajeel!" She yelled, when the doorbell rang frantically.

Levy stomped towards the door and opened it with irritation to see a panicked stricken Mirajane. "What's got you all distressed about?" Levy asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"I just got news that Gajeel…Gajeel's been shot!" She said, and Levy froze.

Gajeel's been shot? What had he been doing for the past two days? She thought it was just work. But knowing him, he must have been doing some stupid investigation again! And now he's shot. Damn that man. He said he wouldn't leave, and yet…

Is he going to die? She thought, fear settling in. Is he going to be okay? How bad was it? Why was he shot? Who shot him? Would she lose the chance of telling him everything she wanted to say?

"Levy!" The blue haired woman snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Mirajane. "Are you alright? Let's go to the hospital, now!" She said urgently.

"Um, yeah." Levy said in a daze. Mirajane took her hand and pulled her along, and Levy's feet felt like jelly, only being able keeping up with Mirajane's quick strides. Levy hadn't said a word since then, and Mirajane knew Levy was afraid and concerned for Gajeel's well being.

"Get a grip, Levy. You have to be okay." Mirajane said sternly, and she spotted a quick nod from the woman at a glance. And then she heard soft mumblings.

"…got to be kidding…" Levy rubbed her eyes with her free hand. "…what do I…" She mumbled, and that was all that Mirajane could make out as they arrived at the hospital.

Mirajane hastily asked the receptionist for Gajeel's room, and once she found out, she grabbed onto Levy's hand and dragged her along as well. Levy was busy trying to keep herself composed. It was not long until they stood outside Gajeel's room. Levy took a deep breath. "I'm opening the door." Mirajane said softly, and Levy nodded. The barmaid slid the door open and they saw Gajeel giving a light chuckle at the King, who looked extremely apologetic. Beside the King stood Erza Knightwalker, and with the sound of the door opening, the three looked at Levy and Mirajane.

Gajeel was bandaged up around his torso, and he seemed to be in pain although he smiled. The King and Erza excused themselves. When the King passed by Levy, he gave an apologetic expression. "It's my fault, Levy." He said as he patted her shoulder before leaving the room.

Mirajane smiled in relief. "You seem okay." She said.

Gajeel gave a small smile. "Frankly, it was a close one." He said. He looked at Levy, who still stood at the entrance, facing the floor. "Levy?" He called out to her, grateful and relieved to see her, but she didn't come any closer. He looked at her in surprise when she looked at him, tears streaming down her face. Mirajane gave a small smile, and pushed Levy towards the bed gently. "I'll leave you two to sort things out." The barmaid said as she left the room, closing the door as she left.

Even though Mirajane brought Levy closer to the bed, there was still a distance between them. "You're standing too far away, Levy." Gajeel said with amusement in his voice. "Come here."

"Why should I?" She asked bitterly. He cocked his head to the side and looked at her with confusion. She rubbed her eyes furiously. "Do you think that it's okay to just act as if nothing happened?" She raised her voice angrily. "Why are you smiling and laughing like that?"

"W-Well, even if you ask me why—"

"You didn't even leave a note and you disappeared for two days, and now I see you wrapped in bandages and lying down on a hospital bed after a gunshot?" She yelled.

"L-Levy, calm down—"

"Calm down? Are you fucking kidding me?"

The door slid open and a nurse entered. "It'd be much appreciated if you kept it down, miss." The nurse said irritatedly. Levy scowled at the nurse as she left.

"I'm sorry, Levy." Gajeel said.

"Sorry doesn't cut it." Levy said.

"Then what would?" He asked.

"I don't know." She felt a lump in her throat as she tried to hold back from crying again. "I don't know, but you piss me off!" She said.

"Alright." Gajeel said. "But come closer, I missed you." He said, making her blush shyly. She took a few steps forward and was now standing directly beside him. He grinned as he held onto her small hand. He wiped the tears that spilled from her eyes. "I'm glad." He said.

"For what?" She snapped.

"You're crying for me." He chuckled. She tried to pull away from him, but his grip on her hand prevented her from moving away. "I was scared that I wouldn't be able to see you again." He said.

Levy frowned. "That's your fault. What were you doing?" She asked.

"Yes, it is. I was…helping the King." He said. "And the person I was sneaking up on shot me." He caressed her cheek as he was reminded of every inch of her face. Her eyes, her lips, everything; he thought he would never see it again.

"You said you wouldn't leave." She mumbled.

"I know. I was stupid. I let my excitement get the best of me." He said apologetically. "But I didn't think I'd be in this predicament."

Levy's eyes trailed down to his wrapped up torso, and saw a particular bump where he must have gotten shot. She gently placed her fingers over his wound, and her eyes softened. "I was scared you were…" She stopped.

Gajeel sat up slowly, and brought her face down. Their lips met, and as if they were long lost lovers meeting after years, they shared a long kiss. When the kiss broke, Levy hugged Gajeel tightly. "I love you." She finally said as she sobbed onto his shoulder. He grinned. "Fucking asshole." She added.

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

And that's the end!

Naw, joking. But I can say it'll be ending soon, because school is starting and I'm starting to feel as though I'm dragging the story. *is sad*

Reviews, please?


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